10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 26, 2018

We have escaped the clutches of the Bahamas, and are finally back “home” in Tucson, Texas. The return home included a total of 5 ½ hours of flight delays, one missed flight, and we subsequently missed the entire town of Charlotte, North Carolina. We did however gain an extra night, at our expense in Miami, Florida, all of which was in the dark, so I could not even run out and put a couple of birds on a Florida State List.

Bahamas 127

Bahamas Costa Rica Abandoning Abandonment 127

Sales and Marketing Management

DECEMBER 26, 2018

Author: Staff Some additional thoughts…. In my work with sales executives from corporations large and small, I repeatedly see that team rewards are easily overlooked in favor of individual incentives. And while individual incentives are critical to the success of any sales organization, most companies are not fully invested in supporting the team environment.

Minnesota 76

Minnesota Investigation Science Groups 76

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2018

In the e-era now, print magazines are going the way of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Take a moment, then, to give thanks for the remaining good ones, the primary example being National Geographic. This year, the one now coming to a close, has been “The Year of the Bird,” as declared by National Geographic (as well as the National Audubon Society, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and BirdLife International).

Minnesota 123

Minnesota Protesting Protest Protesters 123

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 28, 2018

A year ago, we presented a barleywine, a very strong beer, as a stand-in for the traditional Champagne in our New Year’s Eve edition of Birds and Booze. It was a rich and complex beer, perfectly enjoyable as a sipper on a cold December evening, and with a lovely Northern Cardinal on the label – but it wasn’t the customary bubbly I’d hoped to find for the occasion.

Fowl 113

Fowl France Birds Chickens 113

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10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 26, 2018

Graduation ceremonies are quite long, and one weekend in December I attended my 5th such ceremony celebrating my husband’s bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. Graduation is a time to reflect, celebrate achievement, look towards the future… But there’s also a lot of empty wait time. So, on the morning of his Gainesville commencement ceremony, I amused myself the way any birder would: how many species could I see from the stadium?

Alligators 113

Alligators Florida Birds Species 113

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 24, 2018

Eight days ago, on Sunday, 16 December, a whole big bunch of intrepid birders headed out across my fine home borough into abysmal conditions to conduct the 2018 Queens County Christmas Bird Count. In the predawn darkness as the wind and rain shook my car, I started getting text messages and emails from individual birders cancelling their participation and sector leaders letting me know about still more cancellations.

2018 113

2018 Bald Eagle Falcons Birds 113

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2018

The end of another year is nigh. In Costa Rica, we know it by way of windy nights with clear skies, slightly cooler temperatures, and an abundance of festivities featuring carnie rides, prancing horses, and parades. Other reminders of December in Costa Rica are palm trees festooned with Christmas lights, an abundance of annual bird counts, and sightings of winter birds like gulls, ducks, and a scattering of Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Costa Rica 172

Costa Rica 2018 West Virginia Birds 172

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2018

The priorities of serious birders stand in stark contrast to those of our less avian-enamored neighbors at most times of year, but never more so than around late December. Others may be rushing around to finish up holiday shopping or to indulge in a little Yuletide cheer. We do that stuff too, but typically in-between participating in Christmas counts and chasing down year list stragglers.

2018 113

2018 Birds Ducks Owls 113

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2018

We have rarely visited Kununurra in November for a camping holiday due to the very hot weather that can also include some severe tropical storms. The last time we spent a significant time there in November was in 1999 on our way to Broome. On that visit we paddled from Lake Argyle back to Kununurra over three days and that was a magnificent experience.

Cattle 114

Cattle Geese Birds Australia 114