10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Visiting this area for the first time after seeing it for month was a crazy experience. And besides, it’s nice to see something that isn’t the same 12 (now 13) species of seabird (plus Molly Meep Meep, a Black Brant ) There may not be as many as in October, but they are there, and they can be cool. A Humpback Whale.

Whales 157

Whales Whaling Sharks Bats 157

10,000 Birds

JUNE 24, 2013

It took me awhile, but I managed to get on quite a few, especially when the boat slowed down to go check out some Humpback Whales and a huge number of Common Dolphins. Sooty Shearwaters and a Western Gull fly back the aftermath of a Humpback Whale breaching. Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae. It was amazing.

Whales 152

Whales Whaling Dolphins California 152

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

Africa has more than its fair share of storks, with 8 of the world’s 19 species gracing the continent. Furthermore we have another very special stork-like bird, the regal Shoebill , previously known as the Whale-headed Stork but now placed in its own family. It is also related to Wood Stork of the Americas and Milky Stork of Asia.

Africa 250

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 250

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2015

Offshore Sea Life ID Guide: West Coast is designed to be a quick, handy resource for use on whale watching and one-day pelagic trips. But, I did take many photos, and used the book, in spurts during the trip and more closely afterward, to identify three seabird species, two expected (Sooty and Black-vented Shearwaters) and one a surprise.

Dolphins 162

Dolphins Porpoises Whales Whaling 162

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2016

A little longer than its predecessor (by eight pages to be exact), the East Coast guide is your handy dandy, pocket-sized, all-in-one guide to the seabirds, marine mammals, sea turtles, fish, and other creatures you are likely to encounter on pelagics or whale watching trips, from Bar Harbor, Maine to Ponce de Leon Inlet, Florida.

Pennsylvania 189

Pennsylvania Texas Whales Whaling 189

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 1, 2011

So much so that the two species are placed within their own family, Chaetopidae. The species is insectivorous and nests amongst the scree and boulders on the steep mountain slopes. If you happen to be lucky enough to find yourself in Cape Town, choose a windless day and experience the magic of this place and its birds.

South Africa 257

South Africa Penguins Africa Birds 257

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

Being on a boat surrounded by the endless blue of the ocean is a wonderful experience, especially when the waves aren’t too high, the sun isn’t too bright, and the birds are showing. From the fishing boats we spotted lots of water in the air, both from a whale breaching and blowing. I like pelagic birding.

Whales 176

Whales Whaling Dolphins New York 176

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2023

Galápagos: A Natural History, Second Edition by John Kricher and Kevin Loughlin gives the traveling naturalist the tools needed to fully appreciate and experience the Galápagos Islands. Where once there were 13 species of “Darwin’s finches,” there are now 17. I wish I had read this book.

2006 278

2006 Tortoises Sea Lions Porpoises 278

10,000 Birds

JUNE 29, 2013

I can hardly begin to describe the surreal experience that unfolded before me. Hundreds of birds all huddled closely together, dangling from the jagged ledges, seemingly separated by species in separate levels along the cliff. It is truly a magical place, an experience like none other. Patience, thus, is key.

Iceland 225

Iceland Puffins Europe Birds 225

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2012

This may be the most awesome pelagic you’ll ever experience… For me it was the publication in 1984 of Peter Harrison’s ground-breaking identification guide to ‘ Seabirds ’ that opened up the off-shore world of pelagic birding right on Cape Town’s door step.

Albatross 213

Albatross Penguins Dolphins Whaling 213

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 8, 2019

According to eBird, there have been approximately 270 species seen at the hotspot that includes the harbor. The evening of September 7, 2012 was a truly memorable birding experience. I just happened to be there to experience it. Of course, unexpected experiences such as this are one of the great appeals of birding.

San Francisco 154

San Francisco Portland Whales Whaling 154

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

It is acceptable to point out other sea creatures–dolphins or whales or dragonflies–but the main goal is the observation and identification of the birds. The King Eider photograph, which is the “marquee” photo for that species account, is by Hugh Harrop). It is a challenging activity. No rails or gallinules.

Ducks 247

Ducks Groups North America North Dakota 247

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2013

I had my first swim with Inshore Bottlenose Dolphins in Northland’s Bay of Islands back in 2000, and it was a tripy experience. Leaving from the harbour on boats were tours to swim with one of New Zealand’s most endangered mammal species, the Hector’s Dolphin. It wasn’t long before we saw them, either.

Dolphins 166

Dolphins Sharks New Zealand Albatross 166

10,000 Birds

JUNE 5, 2016

Perhaps the best experience of the two days I spend offshore was not a bird, but a mammal. As it was when a small pod of Gervais’ Beaked Whales, small whales that look like bulked up Bottlenosed Dolphins tolerated our approach and allowed us to have a surreal experience with this mysterious marine mammal.

Whales 100

Whales Whaling North Carolina Mammals 100

Critter News

JULY 21, 2010

With some 400 species estimated to be at risk — from the tiniest oil-eating bacteria to shrimp and crabs, endangered sea turtles, brown pelicans and sperm whales — experts say the impact of oil and chemical dispersants on the food chain has already begun, and could grow exponentially. “A

Marine Life 100

Marine Life Sea Turtles Whales Whaling 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

Volunteering provides a very different experience to tourism though. In California I smelt the breath a Blue Whale as it passed feet beneath my boat. You may not get the species counts that the race delivers, but you’ll have memories burned into your skull. In the Bahamas I swam in a pod of feeding dolphins.

Uganda 168

Uganda Sharks New Zealand Africa 168

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

Additionally, there are still a few regularly-occurring Pacific pelagic species that I have never seen. The boat is called the Legacy and it is an 80 foot whale watching vessel that generally seats 115, but takes about 70 for birding trips. But I always enjoy trips out on the water and it had been several years since my last one.

San Diego 147

San Diego Los Angeles Cooking North Carolina 147

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2017

Corey was pleased with the result of the whale-watching trip he took in Queens despite the fact that no one on the boat saw a single marine mammal. There were four Wilson’s Storm-Petrels sighted, only the second time Corey has seen this species in Queens. That’s easily good enough for Best Bird of the Weekend.

2017 100

2017 Whales Whaling North America 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2012

Life Along the Delaware Bay starts with a brief cultural history of the Bay, showing the sod dikes farmers built to drain the marshes, and how Cape May went from being a whaling town to a Victorian beach resort to the home of the Cape May Hawk Watch.

Delaware 201

Delaware New Jersey Eggs Medical Research 201

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 17, 2011

Grief, friendship, gratitude, wonder, and other things we animals experience. Sea lion mothers wail when watching their babies being eaten by killer whales. Waterfall Dances: Do animals have spiritual experiences? A Grateful Whale. by Marc Bekoff. Grief in magpies and red foxes: Saying goodbye to a friend.

Emotional 100

Emotional Animal Whales Whaling 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 3, 2017

There is no experience comparable to birding a dump, and, I have to say, I have never experienced a dump like this one. Seeing this giant, awkward yet majestic bird walk through the densely littered landscape was a surreal experience. (4) I saw this Greater Adjutant in Assam, India, where they scavenge in the Guwahati city dump.

2016 129

2016 India Ducks Costa Rica 129

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

At sea there are also New Zealand Sea Lions and Southern Right Whales. Whangarei New Zealand’s most northerly city and smack bang in the middle of the Northland region, those seeking to experience wild New Zealand have a dizzying array of choices here. Also within reach are the greatest surviving expanses of kauri forests.

New Zealand 157

New Zealand Penguins Sanctuary Fur 157

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 3, 2021

Chacachacare was also the site of a US Army base, a leper colony, and before that, a whaling station. But I was set to virtually present about birding in T&T and suddenly the dearth of images and experience from the northwest corner of Trinidad became apparent. Northern Scrub Flycatcher.

Trinidad 216

Trinidad Netherlands Columbus Whaling 216