10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2021

Fascinated with New York’s Jamaica Bay, I started dreaming about creating a similar wetland reserve on the Danube inside Belgrade, the very area I explored. Now, I have mixed feelings: cautious and by experience mistrustful, but happy. It is a spacious floodplain between the River Danube and the levee, 2.1 Golden Jackals in Beljarica.

Serbia 274

Serbia Boars Deer Otters 274

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 25, 2014

Sunday morning was a perfect morning to get out on the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. We saw a total of fifteen species of shorebirds but four stole the show – the peeps! It apparently derives from the typical call notes of the species which, broadly speaking, can sound like “peep.”

Jamaica 179

Jamaica Wildlife Species Rights 179

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2019

Of what he did see, a pair of Bald Eagles at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge was the highlight, a species that didn’t used to be around in June in Queens at all. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. So, Bald Eagles as his Best Bird of the Weekend. How about you?

2019 115

2019 Bald Eagle Jamaica Eagles 115

10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2015

He yelled a relatively unintelligible explanation as he ran to the car, abandoning his family, and sped to Jamaica Bay where he parked and ran out to the breach of the West Pond where he relied upon the kindness of other birders, who let him use their scopes while he got his breath back. How about you? What was your best bird of the weekend?

Jamaica 162

Jamaica 2015 Abandon Abandoning 162

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2015

Corey had quite a few species to choose from this weekend but decided that his Best Bird of the Weekend was the simple Tree Swallow. In particular, he picked one of the many that has already staked out a claim to a nest box at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. This time, we spotted two shaggy cranes flying across the wetlands.

2015 182

2015 Jamaica New York Birds 182

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 13, 2017

For example, I saw all kinds of special species this weekend, but nothing impressed me more than displays of the tyranny of tiny birds. Corey enjoyed visits to the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge on both Saturday and Sunday. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment.

2017 113

2017 Jamaica Birds Wildlife 113

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2017

Corey had a host of birds to choose from for his Best Bird of the Weekend seeing as he did a big day on Saturday that netted 123 species. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. What was your best bird of the weekend?

2017 124

2017 Jamaica Birds Experience 124

10,000 Birds

MAY 20, 2018

Not only did I bag the beautiful bird I expected, but I also encountered a tasty species I never expect there until I see it every year: Olive-sided Flycatcher. Speaking of OSFL, Corey had quite a haul of species to choose from this weekend after leading two walks for New York City Audubon and doing a ton of birding on his own on Sunday.

New York City 100

New York City 2018 Jamaica New York 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 30, 2015

Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend could have been any of a multitude of species spotted on the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. What was your best bird of the weekend?

Baltimore 145

Baltimore 2015 Jamaica New York 145

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 31, 2019

I saw 863 species of birds, bringing my life list to 1,820. Such travel brings a lot of birds and the 863 species I saw this year is the most species I have ever seen. How can I narrow down the eight-hundred-sixty-three species to ten? How can I, by listing only ten, call eight-hundred-fifty-three species not worthy?

2019 138

2019 Barbados Uganda Costa Rica 138

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 5, 2017

Corey had a great Saturday morning on the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge which has still not filled back up after being drawn down for shorebird season this summer. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. Better lay out some suet once the real cold arrives.

Neglecting 100

Neglecting 2017 Jamaica Birds 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 28, 2013

The natural attractions of midsummer seem more subtle than those enjoyed during the frantic peregrinations of the world’s migratory species. Of course, the reasons why robins might mob a crow are obvious, but I never attributed a mob mentality to that species! How refined are your tastes in nature? How about you?

2013 154

2013 Jamaica Birds Wildlife 154

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2024

Osborn, a passionate field biologist who participates to the core of her being three re-introduction projects aimed at saving three very different, endangered species: Peregrine Falcon, Hawaiian Crow (‘Alala)*, and California Condor. She crafts her prose with a visual immediacy that bring you directly into her experience.

California Condor 175

California Condor Falcons California Coyotes 175

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 18, 2013

Of course we should seek reasons to celebrate every bird species we share our weekends with, but is the species that delights us most always the most memorable? He was very pleased to get such close looks at such a cool shorebird species with the sun low in the sky behind him. What was your best (or worst) bird of the weekend?

2013 169

2013 Jamaica Birds Wildlife 169

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2016

Even though I only had an hour before work, I racked up just about all the warblers I wanted; any weekend I see a Blackburnian Warbler , I know which species is my favorite. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. How about you? What was your best bird of the weekend?

2016 100

2016 Jamaica New York Birds 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 14, 2013

With the foresight to get my taxes taken care of early, I was free to enjoy the cold spring weather and lingering winter species around here. He was walking along a trail at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge when he saw a flash of yellow up ahead. It’s nice to see that Red-breasted Nuthatches still haunt my home turf.

2013 191

2013 United States Jamaica Birds 191

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2016

This weekend, millions of people, young and old alike, were driven to explore the most unlikely corners of the world in a relentless, unquenchable thirst to track down species they hadn’t ticked before. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment.

Michigan 100

Michigan 2016 Jamaica Birds 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 28, 2016

However, more impressive than shorebirds for me were the seven species of tern that (hehe) turned up, especially the cackling flocks of Black Skimmers that wheeled right overhead. Corey got out to Jamaica Bay this weekend and while he didn’t find any rarities he was pleased to see a variety of juvenile shorebirds.

2016 100

2016 Virginia Jamaica Birds 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2012

My weekend was devoted to a seemingly endless celebration of my son’s 8th birthday, which meant that my best bird was bound to be a backyard species. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was his first Osprey in New York State this year, seen perched on a nesting platform at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in early morning fog on Saturday.

2012 172

2012 Jamaica New York Woodpeckers 172

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2011

In terms of bird watching though, ’tis not the season to be jolly unless you’re either utterly devoted to your local resident species or on vacation in a place you might enjoy someone else’s local resident species. Corey did a bit better, enjoying tons of juvenile Yellow Warblers at Jamaica Bay.

2011 162

2011 Jamaica New York Birds 162

10,000 Birds

APRIL 17, 2012

As migration proceeds in fits and starts I find myself torn between wanting to find as many birds as I can on each birding outing and wanting to take my time with each species that I haven’t seen since they left for fairer climes back in the fall. I guess that means that you could call the picture above “Caterpillar Fail.”

Jamaica 187

Jamaica Wildlife Experience Experiments 187

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2014

Florida is a great place to bird in January because in addition to the year-round species there are a host of birds that winter in the relatively balmy climate that Florida has in winter. Get my Florida list to 180 species. I should be able to find sixteen species that I have failed to add thus far in the great state of Florida.

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2015 Wildlife Florida Honduras 196

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 19, 2012

But on his boat ride around lower New York Harbor and Jamaica Bay on Sunday he found himself appreciating the Herring Gulls more than any other species. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. Is he becoming a larophile?

2012 155

2012 Jamaica Birds New York 155

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2011

I was fortunate enough to spot the individual in this post at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge where it was foraging in bushes and small trees between four and fifteen off of the ground. The Cape May Warbler is considered a Species of Least Concern by Birdlife International because of its large range and large and stable population.

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Tigers United States Jamaica Pennsylvania 158

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

Mostly the ducks were Red-breasted Merganser and Greater Scaup , the two most prevalent species on the pond, but there were a few other birds mixed in as well. Either way, it was a heck of a sight and another example of why Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is the best place in New York City to see amazing wildlife spectacles.

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Ducks 2011 Jamaica Deer 169

10,000 Birds

APRIL 18, 2011

Also, I somehow doubt that whether I am stuck at work or not really influences how everyone else experiences spring but this is my blog post so I can use whatever criteria I want to measure how well spring has gone. Spotting 57 species of birds in the couple of hours we put in to seeking out birds was never so ho-hum in my life.

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New York City New York Walruses Sparrows 163

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2012

Nassau County, New York, March 2009 After having fully explored the trail around the West Pond at Jamaica Bay , we four bird bloggers agreed to load up Patrick’s car and head over to Jones Beach to see what kind of birds we could find there and some other locations in Nassau County.

New York 160

New York Butcher Geese 2009 160

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2011

For Corey, this was a weekend without a single standout species but with many birds that were pretty darn neat. The Snow Geese at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge will soon be winging their way north, so he spent some quality time with them, his best birds of the weekend. I suspect though that once we get past the Ides of March (beware!)

2011 133

2011 Deer Owls Lions 133

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2011

Corey encountered a bunch of winners, but 24 Common Redpolls at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, in almost the exact same spot he saw them a couple of years ago, feeding on birch inflorescence by the East Pond, were easily his best birds of the weekend. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment.

2011 154

2011 New York Deer Philadelphia 154

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Today we are looking at two species that can be difficult to separate under typical field conditions. I have encountered this situation only one time in my birding experience. I tried on a purist attitude and chose not to ID the species. To answer this quiz, please do NOT indicate the species of either bird.

2011 124

2011 North America Deer America 124

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2013

Many years of experience have been lost. There have been 221 species recorded on the count, including goodies like Gyrfalcon , King Rail , Western Tanager , Ash-throated Flycatcher , Sedge Wren and Black-throated Gray Warbler. This is pretty impressive for the cold northeastern United States.

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Birds New York City New York New Jersey 163

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2021

July in New York City is generally an unpleasant experience. I’ve already added two species to my burgeoning Queens life list , seen another for a second time ever, and the month is just over half over. Starting a month with a new species for Queens was awesome, but it was just the beginning! What’s going on?

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Jamaica Birds New York City Ducks 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Frigatebirds (Fregatidae) Five species of frigatebird ply the planet’s tropical skies and seas. Ringer Cormorants and Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) Cormorants are more speciose than other families in the order; 30-40 species range widely on every continent and many islands. Feeding Frenzy at Jamaica Bay.Or

2011 152

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea California 152

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2011

Turkeys, 3 or 4 species of woodpeckers, all kinds of song birds grace our view constantly. Jochen the swallows have arrived at NYC at Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge too. Stop by our blog for some nice shots and share the experience!! Almost time for hummers to make there appearance. As I said, we are blessed.

2011 150

2011 Deer South Dakota Costa Rica 150

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 30, 2020

are up next, with a wonderful Australian species: It is very hard to choose a Best Bird of the Year any year. Unfortunately, this morph is the dominant one at Fuzhou NFP”) that somehow survived the review process, possibly because the reviewer has had similar experiences. Clare (and Grant!) How cool is that?

2020 228

2020 Birds Costa Rica Germany 228