10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2015

Actually, signs that winter won’t release its icy grip so readily are also apparent… my traditional Easter family hike was canceled on account of snow. 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. Spring is here! How about you?

2015 218

2015 Jamaica New York Birds 218

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2011

The Green Heron ( Butorides virescens ) is a spectacular species familiar to anyone who pays attention to the places where water meets land. One could dwell on how convoluted its family tree is… the Butorides complex, as it’s called, is surprisingly complex. And wouldn’t you know it, I was right.

Jamaica 259

Jamaica Fish Adoptable Ducks 259

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?

Jamaica 162

Jamaica 2015 Abandon Abandoning 162

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.

Ducks 190

Ducks 2011 Jamaica Deer 190

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.

Tigers 162

Tigers United States Jamaica Pennsylvania 162

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2012

This explains why when I was upstate celebrating my parents’ fortieth anniversary on Sunday I was not to happy to learn that a Ruff was found at Jamaica Bay. A couple of Semipalmated Sandpipers and single American Oystercatcher rounded out the shorebird species that I spotted in my first sweep.

Jamaica 162

Jamaica New York City Abandon Abandoning 162

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 13, 2012

With a family renowned for its strong flight and capability to colonize far flung locations (such as the Imperial-Pigeons and Fruit-Doves of the Tropical Pacific, Blue Pigeons of the Indian Ocean, or endemic pigeons of the Canary Islands), this fact comes to no surprise. Is this the closest equivalent to a tramp species in the Americas?

Florida 197

Florida Miami Bahamas Mexico 197

10,000 Birds

MARCH 9, 2011

The little stiff-tails are almost year-round at Jamaica Bay though almost all leave to breed in the summer and in the depths of winter, when the ponds are almost completely frozen, they tend to head for open water. She was essentially cream-colored, much lighter than the typical female Ruddy Duck.

Ducks 165

Ducks 2011 Jamaica Deer 165

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 31, 2019

I saw 863 species of birds, bringing my life list to 1,820. I also spent a week in northwestern Costa Rica on a family vacation, a long weekend in Barbados, a week in Georgia, and two week-plus-long trips to visit relatives in southern California. How can I narrow down the eight-hundred-sixty-three species to ten?

2019 159

2019 Barbados Uganda Costa Rica 159

10,000 Birds

MARCH 12, 2012

But Gotham’s many parks have some very suitable habitat for birds from the family Picidae and a birder in any borough of New York will generally find at least a couple of species during an average morning’s birding. Like many woodpeckers, they are sexually dimorphic, with males showing a red spot on the back of their head.

New York City 262

New York City New York Woodpeckers New Jersey 262

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 30, 2013

Now my Queens list stands at a whopping 302, which means I have actually added thirteen species since my last predictions. We had a family picnic at Fort Tilden less than two weeks after my last set of predictions and a single Purple Martin was flying low over the fields with Barn Swallows and Tree Swallows. Number 300 in Queens!

2012 159

2012 New York City Jamaica 2013 159

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2011

Nice. ((** all names have been changed to protect identities and have been substituted with (almost) randomly chosen substitutes suitable for a family of Alpine Accentors.)) small families putting less pressure on the adult members of the family). Davies et al. Ecological causes and reproductive conflicts. You disgust me.

2011 234

2011 Breeders Deer Breeding 234

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 21, 2015

Way back on 16 May I managed to see my 312 bird species in Queens to add to my Queens list. Somehow I forgot that the last time I predicted what the next ten species I would see in Queens would be was back on 30 December 2013, when my list was sitting at 302. WHIIIIIIMBRLE!!!!! How accurate were these predictions?

2010 160

2010 2013 2011 2012 160

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2020

Sedge Wren – There are records of this species in Queens, generally along the coast in fall. Great Shearwater – At this point, seabirds are my weakest family in Queens with the most species having reported in the borough that I have not seen. It leaves Barnacle Goose as the last remotely possible goose species for me to add.

2018 184

2018 2019 2015 Kansas City 184

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 16, 2020

I am shocked to be writing this post already, and doubly shocked that I’ve seen six new species for Queens since I guessed what my next five Queens birds would be just eight months ago, back in March. Eastern Whip-Poor-Will : It’s kind of amazing how rarely this species is reported in Queens. I’ll make it three!

New York City 160

New York City Birds New York Blackbirds 160

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2012

I first met Anthony Collerton when he was trying to see the Barrow’s Goldeneye at Jamaica Bay back in February. That made me wonder why someone would put so much energy into a species that is regular in New York and not a lifer. That’s about 300 species in a typical year. What strategies are you using?

New York 202

New York Stray Vermont Marine Life 202

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

That larger clade is in turn sister to a clade containing the four remaining totipalmate bird families, which do still seem to be related, and which needed a new order name once pelicans were removed. But meanwhile, let’s look at the four avian families that comprise the brand new order Suliformes. Feeding Frenzy at Jamaica Bay.Or

2011 168

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea California 168

10,000 Birds

APRIL 18, 2011

On Saturday I met up with Seth and we headed out to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge where we nearly froze to death and I refused to wear gloves because it is April and gloves aren’t necessary. 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. How exciting.

New York City 177

New York City New York Walruses Sparrows 177

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. On Sunday at Kissena Park I saw five species of sparrows. No time to take a picture.

2011 165

2011 New York Deer Philadelphia 165

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2013

Seeing 525 species was nice, as was the fact that I birded in four countries, nine of the fifty states in the United States, and fifty-one counties. I want to reach 500 birds in the ABA, get my Queens list to 295, see a total of at least 500 species, and get my World Life List to 1,100. But how did I see so many species this year?

2012 152

2012 Czech Republic Hedgehogs Hungary 152

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2019

beats have still managed to share 82 checklists and accounted for 737 species. Jamaica Bay, Big Egg Marsh. Jamaica Bay, Big Egg Marsh. Jamaica Bay, Big Egg Marsh. Jamaica Bay, Big Egg Marsh. Jamaica Bay, Big Egg Marsh. Jamaica Bay, Big Egg Marsh. Jamaica Bay, Big Egg Marsh. 01 Jun 2019.

2019 133

2019 Jamaica Eggs Woodpeckers 133

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2011

Because of is huge range and large and growing population it is classified as a Species of Least Concern , great news for those who like to feel the gaze of the Bufflehead upon them. All of the shots in this post were taken on 1 March 2011 at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge’s West Pond as the sun was going down.

2011 150

2011 Ducks Deer Portland 150

10,000 Birds

JUNE 25, 2019

That fallacious family name seems to have encouraged all manner of knaves, dunderheads, and miscreants when time came to label species. Most of the warblers south of the border escaped this ignominy; those Basileuterus and Myiothlypis species generally appear exactly as advertised. NAMED FOR PEOPLE. NAMED FOR PLACES.

Rights 113

Rights Connecticut Tennessee Nashville 113

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Today we are looking at two species that can be difficult to separate under typical field conditions. 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. Extra Credit: Tell us all how you separate these two species (I need the help!).

2011 124

2011 North America Deer America 124

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2011

Hes only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasnt working as a union representative or spending time with his family. parrot to me, but I sure as heck can’t get it to species level. Red-breasted Merganser 2. Monk Parakeet 3. Mitred parakeet 3.

2011 221

2011 Bald Eagle Sparrows Deer 221

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2011

more migratory sky shots here ) Tags: march , weekend • Camping tents - Check out our pop up tents , family tents , and more! 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. A perfect shot.

2011 150

2011 Deer South Dakota Costa Rica 150

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. Enjoy the details and proof here. I got the bird.

2011 133

2011 Deer Owls Birds 133

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2011

There has been one for the last couple winters at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, but I don’t think anyone has gotten as close to it as I got to the one at the Queens Zoo. Most folks chose the former as the most likely bird while some folks, thinking they knew the avifauna of Queens well, chose the latter.

Bald Eagle 113

Bald Eagle Zoos 2011 Deer 113

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. The male of this species has a royal blue throat, a white chest and rump, and a long v-shaped tail with intermittent white patches that makes it looks like part of it are floating in space. Clare (and Grant!) How cool is that?

2020 263

2020 Birds Costa Rica Germany 263

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2021

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! Sandhill Crane , species number 330 in Queens! What other species remain to be seen?

Jamaica 264

Jamaica Birds New York City Ducks 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2011

In southern Africa, there are two species. These Blasts From The Past First Robin of Spring Eastern Phoebes in Fall Feeding Again at Forest Park Wilson’s Phalaropes Phalaropus tricolor at Jamaica Bay Wired for luck About the Author Redgannet Redgannet has been working for over 25 years as a crew member/flight attendant.

2011 194

2011 Deer Africa Peru 194

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2016

I started out my birding life sitting on Benches 2 and 7 at the Jamaica Bay NWR West Pond, my Peterson’s in my lap, studying Green-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, and the occasional Pintail. But, as with many avian families, the more you look, the more complicated it gets. So much simpler than pinning down those warblers!

North America 185

North America Asia Europe America 185

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 15, 2019

Within its 400 pages, the Birds of the West Indies covers 712 species, 550 of them regularly occurring and 190 of those endemic to the region, many of them to single islands. Furthermore, there are six families confined to the Greater Antilles. If a species is monotypic, this is clearly stated.

Saint Kitts and Nevis 196

Saint Kitts and Nevis Antigua and Barbuda Dominican Republic Cuba 196

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2011

They are the only birds able to fly backwards and the 340-odd species come in many different forms. Its partner is the well-known Ruby-throated Hummingbird , one of the only species of hummingbird that migrates every year. In fact it might just be one of the drabbest hummingbird species out there.

Colombia 279

Colombia Bolivia Ecuador Peru 279

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 31, 2021

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck , 11 July, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, New York (2nd Queens sighting). Fortunately for me, I came across one in a mixed-species flock while out birding one morning in the vicinity of Lake Tahoe. Doug found this bird while my whole family was sick with COVID. A first state record?

New York 264

New York California Birds Owls 264