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On the other hand, I do not feel confident in my knowledge of gulls to give a definite answer. That is why I am so pleased to see the new “Gulls of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East: An Identification Guide” being illustrated with nearly 1400 colour photographs of the 45 species of gulls found in the Western Palearctic.
While I saw some pretty special species this weekend, the most special was the Gray Catbird because my sweet 7-year niece totally got into finding one; I think I’ve found the next generation birder in the family! But watching a Northern Goshawk rip through the sky over Bloomingdale Bog in the Adirondacks was definitely a BBOTW moment.
The tail-end of winter delivered a bird I definitely didn’t expect in Rochester. At least that’s where I added this species to my New York list. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. What was your best bird of the weekend?
Out of the approximately 26 species of snipes worldwide, two have been recorded on Trinidad. The trouble begins with the recognition of the fact that both species of snipe were formerly part of a single species – Common Snipe ( Gallinago gallinago ). Such was the unlikeliness of a definitive ID. in Nairobi.
The end of September doesn’t necessarily mean the end of what you might enjoy about September birding but it definitely signals the beginning of what you love about October. I was shocked to still find a number of shorebird species up at Braddock Bay, perhaps because of how much productive mud the dropping lake levels have exposed.
Plus, laziness kicks in pretty often and a 20 minute drive to see relatively rare birds like Nacunda Nighthawks and Glossy Ibises is a definite no-brainer. But this experience which I’m about to relate to you was much more significant than chasing a rarity. You can still check the spoonbill out in all its innocence here.
Most North American birders I know would definitely represent the month of May with a bright and sprightly wood-warbler, though the argument about which bird would best serve would be epic indeed. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. What was your best bird of the weekend?
No, Madagascar is the most famous for an endemic group of mammals: lemurs, sifakas, indri, aye-aye – in total, 112 endemic species and subspecies of lemurs alone! Still, there should be no problem with larger species that allow for longer observation time (e.g. Larger species, that is, excluding dolphins and whales.
I am still tired from the long drive, but it was great to play with the very best toys for birders, to be able to share experiences and to ask the factory staff all sorts of silly questions. You know that classical definition of what separates men from boys? impressive for Central Europe. Merely the price of their toys.
I’m not sure if this is exclusively my limited experience, let me know! I finally managed to obtain some acceptable photos of this species, which I did not manage on my last visit. I knew that this species had been seen here two weeks earlier, but did not expect to see it at all.
When the orioles arrive at my feeder, they definitely have a preference for the grape jelly to the orange–who doesn’t love to chow down on that high fructose corn syrup? They are species that breed in the US and then spend the winter in Central and South America, eating what’s avialable–especially fruit.
Before I get into the nitty-gritties of my awesome birding experiences in Hungary I thought I would just share a few of the shots that I got during the trip. My life list has increased by 33 which, considering I tallied 137 species during the trip (out of the 160 that the group got), is a pretty significant total.
He is also a serious birder (and a birding friend), and his birding observations and adventures are used throughout the book to introduce evolutionary questions and illustrate the mental interplay between personal experience and scientific curiosity. The book is smartly organized into 12 chapters. that’s three birds). ” (p.
While still in my 30′s I did not feel any differences to being in my 20′s, but the early 40′s make it clear once and for all that I have definitely left my youth behind. My life experience allows for a generally calm and balanced demeanor. Then again, science is definitely wrong in stating that goatsuckers have legs.
If you are into amazing avian-dense trail experiences, you either want to bird Pipeline Road or want to bird it again. But this type of singular experience can be enjoyed in the Old World as well. The lush understory supports a multitude of different ecological niches yet still affords good sightlines to spy the species within.
However, there are those species which have a hard time bringing attention to themselves such as Yellow-shouldered Blackbird , Giant Nuthatch , and Vinaceous-breasted Parrot. Regardless of their popularity, these species and the threatened ecosystems they inhabit are equally spectacular. Curassows are such stately birds.
While preparing an article this week for a local newspaper on the nighttime denizens of Tobago, it crossed my mind that I never considered owls as a group, far less target species for any particular outing (except for a select few, upon which I shall expound here). This resulted in my only photograph of this species to date.
Despite depicting 540 species/56 families, it is a lightweight book of 173 pages, easy to pack and carry. Mammals of South Asia follows the latest taxonomy, describes all the species recorded within the region and provides a range map for each species. Larger species, that is, excluding dolphins and whales.
On a trip to Suriname to find and film some of these spectacular species I was blown away by the birding. Suriname has approximately 735 recorded species, with many more to still be added to its total list. The surrounding grounds are a great introduction to some common, but nonetheless interesting, species.
By late March, hordes of Laughing Gulls and multiple species of pelagic terns gather for their turn. I did however manage to be in the right place at the right time to experience a gang of Magnificent Frigatebirds that had a Red-footed Booby surrounded. If you look carefully, you can just see its meal about to be ejected.
As I have mentioned repeatedly over the past months, life this spring has gone topsy-turvy in central Mexico, as we experience what has certainly been one of our driest years in history. I have now seen the species in eight different years. Of course, Paso Ancho is also a hotspot for many other beautiful species and endemics.
As part of the Wildlife Conservation Society Birds of Brazil giveaway we asked readers of 10,000 Birds to name the bird in Brazil that they would like to see more than any other species. What follows are the responses that readers offered, a veritable aviary of sought after species. It is a really neat bird that I have not seen before.
(The White-tipped Dove is actually called, in Spanish, the Paloma Arroyera , or “Gully Dove” And sorry, I have yet to get a photo of this shy species. Like most of the species on this list, this tiny highland bird prefers to make its presence know by singing, rather than by being seen.
It was an invigorating experience and an example of my favorite kind of birding, that of the spectacle. After all, it’s not every day that you more than double the all time high count for a species in your home county, and it is definitely not every day that you get to witness a spectacle like a 12,000-strong gannet feeding frenzy!
Written in the tradition of the classic Hawks in Flight , but very much a product of the experiences of its birder authors, this is a groundbreaking book that offers a new way of identifying migratory birds at sea to all of us who observe the waters of eastern North America with expectation and excitement. No rails or gallinules.
My first experiments involved rooting cuttings of several of Michoacán’s dozens of Salvia species. But starting a mini-forest around the edges of our church’s one-acre lot would require more than cuttings, and local reforestation nurseries only offer a few conifer species. But it definitely perched on the tree.
If conditions are right, the Palm Beach Agricultural Area can be teaming with various shorebird species such as Spotted, Solitary, Upland, Buff-breasted, Least, Semipalmated, Western, and Pectoral Sandpiper, Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plover, Long-billed Dowitcher, and Black-necked Stilt. They especially like live oaks.
After all, Teale Fristoe, the designer of Birds of a Feather , had offered a free prototype to try out so it’s not as if I was risking my own money on this seemingly odd experiment. Each player plays a card and can count any species from the same habitat group as the card played.
Although relatively common here they’re notoriously difficult to see well – a phenomenon clearly not unique to this species ! These irruptive visitors to T&T always are a pleasure to experience. Golden-crowned Warbler is one of the three resident warbler species on Trinidad. Once we arrived at a suitable (i.e.
Or you can say no – probably the better option, though (at least in my case) definitely a lie. Interestingly, it seems that Jonathan Slaght, when searching for Blakiston’s Fish Owl in remote parts of Russia, had similar experiences, as described in his book: “Katkov filled our commutes with loud music.
Earlier in the day, as we ventured out towards the deep waters off of Malpais, Costa Rica at 6 in the morning, another Galapagos Shearwater was the first real pelagic species we encountered. A world birder who has seen literally thousands of species, Pirjo had hoped to connect with this small striking gull.
I definitely didn’t see much, but sometimes the usual species satisfy well enough. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. One truth you learn in the birding business is that birds are always moving in one direction or another. What was your best bird of the weekend?
You may remember back in 2017 when Nate participated in this trip or maybe you followed along in 2018 as the Birdchick dazzled us with her experiences there. Uganda boasts a checklist of well over one thousand species of birds and host of mammals, reptiles, and interesting insects. I mean, what even is an alethe? Or a hyliota?
Maybe these people like challenges – at least here at the monastery, getting good shots of this species is quite easy. Another species apparently enjoying the proximity of a monastery is the White-winged Grosbeak. My extensive birding experience allows me to be very confident that the bird below is a Rosefinch.
(Someday I will get up the nerve to write about the ten, yes, TEN Empidonax species I believe I have seen in my little corner of Mexico. Many of these species are common and widespread, making them just that much more challenging. Many of these species are common and widespread, making them just that much more challenging.
Fortunately, at this time of year there are also a good number of high-quality migratory species: Least Flycatcher. Hey, even the common species give good photos in Paso Ancho! Tinted windows on a Hummer definitely send the wrong message. Please tell me your experiences or share your recommendations with our readers.
per cent of individuals of a species at a given time” and a vagrant bird as a bird that shows up outside of this range (p. But it’s a very fluid definition, as the book makes very clear. They define geographic range as encompassing “something like 99.99 It’s not always easy reading.
I definitely learned something this weekend, particularly regarding how best to see interesting birds. Of the species he saw his best was easily a Philadelphia Vireo at Bristol Beach State Park, a surprising migrant that he was please to find. Imagine that! How about you? What was your best bird of the weekend?
For, in birder lingo, a split occurs when subspecies are determined to be, in fact, entirely separate species. If you happen to have seen both species, your life list can increase without you even leaving the house. Two former species can also be joined into one, the same way. And there was great rejoicing thoughout the land!)
Experience shows that bird parents do feed babies in makeshift nests reattached to tree branches, bushes, gutters, and even tree cavity sections duct taped to another tree. Here are some examples of when a bird definitely needs your help and a call to a federally permitted bird rehabilitator is warranted. So: When do you intervene?
To the relief of Mexican birders everywhere, this species was split several years later into two species; the black-and-white eastern race is now Morelet’s Seedeater , and the more colorful western race is now the Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater. What I didn’t know was that this is a very special species. or Canada.
“In 80 birding tours to more than 100 countries, that was definitely the best day of birding I have ever had in my life!’ However, the great birding experience that is Sani starts lower down. Both species of southern African otters are also regularly encountered ( Cape Clawless and Spot-necked.). Photo by Adam Riley.
During a two-year long moratorium on hunting in T&T, I had some of the most incredible birding experiences. The higher elevation also attracts more rainfall, broad-leafed trees shed their dying leaves onto the floor to make a playground for species like White-necked Thrush, Grey-throated Leaftosser and Black-faced Antthrush.
I have seen few species with the word “House” in their English names ( House Sparrow , Wren , and Finch ), as well as a couple of “Barn” birds ( Barn Swallows and Owls ). The Gartered Trogon : In Michoacán, our two trogon species are both red, white and green (like the Mexican flag). But it was close.
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