10,000 Birds

JANUARY 27, 2024

The lakes usually have quite a few waterbirds, with Mute Swans and Egyptian Geese , Greylag Geese , and Canada Geese being abundant. At one time I counted over 60 individuals from each goose species from a single spot. Very rarely, Barnacle Geese are also seen feeding on the lawn, probably on passage.

Geese 130

Geese Germany Birds Woodpeckers 130

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

As soon as I looked at it more closely it was quite clear that it wasn’t a scaup of any species, despite its resemblance to a North American Lesser Scaup. I hadn’t considered the possible parentage more than the two probable species involved, but intriguingly a Pochard drake x Tufted duck looks quite different.

Geese 185

Geese Falcons Latvia Ducks 185

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

As the tide fell, it exposed sand banks that attracted small parties of garrulous Brent Geese. A party of Dark-bellied Brent Geese , winter visitors from Siberia Brent are abundant along the Norfolk coast, invariably proclaiming their presence with their guttural chattering, so unlike the higher-pitched calls of the Pinkfeet.

Geese 181

Geese Russia Unwanted Breeding 181

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2024

Few suitable nesting trees still survive today When I visited Kerkini last month, the water was high as high as I have ever seen it, though the number of ducks and geese was low, as is usual. There were a few Mallard, and the odd Ferruginous Duck, along with Greylag Geese and Mute Swans.

Pelicans 187

Pelicans Greece Fish Bulgaria 187

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

WinGS volunteers visit gull roost sites, counting six key species: Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gull. In the nearby river valley I did find a reasonable flock of Lapwings, along with a small flock of Greylag and Egyptian Geese, but not a lot else.

Ireland 215

Ireland Turtles Geese Farming 215

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2023

There are still many Egrets and the Magpie Geese are all on the move with their young. Black-winged Stilt and young I had a quick look on my camera after taking the header photo and realised it was not a chick in the reeds, but another bird species entirely.

Geese 216

Geese Family Species Birds 216

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 24, 2023

Last year, in November, I notched up a dozen species of butterflies, an impressive total anywhere in Europe so late in the year. Red-breasted Geese do turn up at Kerkini regularly, and one year I watched a Red-breast mixed in with the Lessers. Perhaps they do occasionally, but not when I’ve seen them.

Greece 207

Greece Pelicans Buffalo Geese 207

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2018

More than 50 years ago, the Hawaiian Goose (Nene) was one of the first birds listed under the Endangered Species Act, part of the inaugural “ Class of 1967 ”. Under the Endangered Species Act, any listing, uplisting, downlisting, or removal from a list requires a formal “rulemaking” process.

Endangered Species 101

Endangered Species Species Hawaii 2018 101

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2024

The refuge has more than 10,000 eBird checklists and 286 species have been observed by approximately 1,100 eBirders. The most popular of the ten eBird hotspots is McNary NWR–Headquarters/Quail Trail , which does indeed feature California Quail , as well as Yellow-Headed Blackbirds and numerous other species.

Washington 212

Washington Oregon Wildlife United States 212

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2014

New Zealand had, once upon a time, some fairly spectacular game birds, including massive flightless geese, massive flightles rails, and really enormous moa. The obvious choice was the Mallard , that plucky familiar northern hemisphere species that is the father of the even more familiar domesticated duck. Not sure if it is yet.

Species 166

Species New Zealand Ducks Game 166

10,000 Birds

APRIL 6, 2024

and I would like to take good photos of this species. The waterbirds were fun to watch, as they often are at this park, and all the standard species were there particularly Mallard , Common Pochard and Tufted Duck (you might have noticed I mention Tufted Ducks a lot in my posts – I’m not sure why but I really like this species!)

Germany 165

Germany Ducks Birds Woodpeckers 165

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2020

Actually, I visited the Two Towers twice, had about 50 bird species each time and about 60 in total, so this is sort of a composite tour description. However awkward this seems, I am using both British and (American) names – I wouldn’t be surprised if they do become different species in years to come.

Serbia 264

Serbia Geese Eagles Louisiana 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 13, 2021

Here’s a quote about bird lungs from Britannica: “Himalayan geese have been observed not only to fly over human climbers struggling to reach the top of Mount Everest, but to honk as they do so.” The bird is a captive-bred Peregrine/Gyrfalcon hybrid owned by people with an Exotic Species Permit.

Wildlife Rehabilitation 262

Wildlife Rehabilitation Tethering Giraffes Alabama 262

10,000 Birds

JUNE 18, 2023

This year, with the exceptional rain and flooding across much of the land there has been a great opportunity for many bird species to move to the area and breed. It is not just the Magpie Geese and Pied Herons that arrived and chose to breed, but also the Australasian Swamphens.

Breeding 130

Breeding Geese Species Birds 130

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

I tried to get a better idea of what exactly the definition of cuckoo-dove is but am still not very clear about it – Wikipedia only offers the rather formal definition “any of several species of bird in the genera Macropygia , Reinwardtoena, and Turacoena of the pigeon family.” But I may well be wrong.

Geese 147

Geese Birds Fish Sparrows 147

10,000 Birds

APRIL 14, 2021

By the time I left the state at the end of January to head back south, I had added 26 species to my 2021 list. Sure, I can see Blue Jays and Northern Cardinals and Canada Geese in my own backyard, year-round, but closing my eyes and picturing those species against a snowy backdrop makes me smile. Here’s hoping!

Florida 197

Florida ALA Geese Woodpeckers 197

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2021

Per usual, the Canada Geese proved to be the most prevalent species – and the loudest. And a lone American White Pelican , its impressive wing span reminding me for the umpteenth time of the hugeness of this species. . Just over the required 15 minute mark, I spotted 17 species, including a few firsts for my 2021 list.

Florida 250

Florida Pelicans Geese Turkey 250

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 17, 2019

A Great Egret , a few Pygmy Cormorants and, by the middle of the Danube, about a hundred Greylag Geese. Two hundred yards further, the first Common Goldeneye and Smew started to appear and, while counting Smew and geese, a Great Bittern took flight from one stand of reeds to another, right in front of us.

Geese 143

Geese Serbia Ukraine Estonia 143

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2024

Pinkfooted Geese in North Norfolk – winter visitors from Iceland My British list is, in fact, merely an East Anglian list, as I haven’t (so far) ventured out of the counties of Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex. A lone Whooper Swan on a grey January day in Norfolk As for the ducks – I’m now up to 15 species.

Spain 130

Spain Eagles North America Cyprus 130

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2015

The distribution of color morphs is unequal in the Snow Goose population, with the maximum number of blue-morph geese occurring in mid-continent breeding and wintering areas 1. I photographed these blue morph Snow Geese at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge where I saw quite a few, including this juvenile (below). v=DYNb-0vYTE8.

Sacramento 197

Sacramento Geese North America Wildlife 197

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 18, 2018

Birdwise, it turned out to be a good one and my year list was almost 400 species long, which made me happy… almost. Nikos said: “I may have about an hour before breakfast and can take you to see the geese.”. Kostas Papadopoulos observing Lesser White-fronted Geese at Kerkini. Lesser White-fronted Geese, of course.

Greece 180

Greece 2017 Pelicans Geese 180

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2024

Starting the New Year by trying to see as many species as possible is something of a birding tradition. My diary notes that the New Year dawned grey and windy, but I rose early, walked six miles before breakfast and noted a modest 26 species of birds. One of my more memorable New Year’s days was in the Falkland Islands, back in 1989.

Albatross 209

Albatross Barn Owls Birds Sparrows 209

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2018

The focus of the trip was ducks and we hit a couple of hotspots in central Queens, Baisley Pond Park and Willow Lake Preserve, and then we took a quick stop at World’s Fair Marina to track down a few more species. Waterfowl is defined here as swans, geese, and ducks. Most winters Snow Geese are a gimme when birding Queens.

Geese 111

Geese New York City Ducks Jamaica 111

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2023

This meant I saw some truly domesticated species there, like these Graylag and African (domesticated Swan ) Geese : Fortunately, all the other birds I saw there were truly wild. There were Yellow Warblers , a species I always seem to see among willows in lakeside parks. Looks a bit more red to me.

Jordan 192

Jordan Mexico Ohio Spain 192

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2024

BLM land is particularly important for conservation of the Greater Sage-Grouse and other sageland species. NPS also manages a diverse set of lands ( i.e., from the Arctic to the Everglades to the Mojave Desert to the Rocky Mountains ) that are used by many species of birds. Only FWS has the primary goal of conservation.

Virgin Islands 207

Virgin Islands Alaska United States Nevada 207

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2016

At the snowy Danube riverbank, we are waiting for geese to come to their roost inside the mostly submerged island. A shot or two coming from the opposite bank, but they do not sound like geese shooting – more like boar hunting. Scanning the water for rarer species… S. warns me of two locally rare Bean Geese.

Geese 173

Geese Boars Hunting Serbia 173

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2022

No matter how many times I see them, this particular species remains breathtaking. Compare that to the water body’s other regulars – Canada Geese – that reach “only” 43 inches with a wingspan of nearly 67 inches. Did I mention they’re huge?

Pelicans 225

Pelicans United States Arizona Canada 225

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2015

Because of its distance to the mainland, Hawaii is home to over 60 species of endemic birds. Nenes are attractive geese, though they were named for their soft calls rather than their looks. Unlike other geese, Nenes prefer walking to swimming. Like other geese than evolved in Hawaii but went extinct, the Nene is an herbivore.

Hawaii 156

Hawaii Feral Cats Mongoose Geese 156

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2014

discovered that the usual flock of several thousand Pink-footed Geese was wintering in the Broads National Park. In my native Serbia, I’ve observed this species in winter only once, while here in East Anglia every site held one. Two Common Snipes , one Brown Hare and… geese! Pink-footed Geese (c) Wikipedia Commons.

Geese 204

Geese Barn Owls Serbia Sheep 204

10,000 Birds

MARCH 10, 2014

It was the only real highlight at Shinnecock for we two jaded birders, though we did appreciate seeing all three scoters, a whole bunch of Common Eiders , both species of scaup, some Great Cormorants , and a bunch of Red-breasted Mergansers. all three of the Greater White-fronted Geese we spotted with a bunch of Canada Geese.

New York 174

New York Geese Canada New York City 174

10,000 Birds

JULY 25, 2014

On 22 January 1879, a pair of Egyptian Geese sat quietly on top of Isandlwana Hill and watched closely. When I started birding in earnest during the 1980s in south-west Germany, no one talked about Egyptian Geese. And for the first time ever in Europe, I encountered a few Egyptian Geese somewhere around Amsterdam.

Germany 150

Germany Netherlands Geese Kenya 150

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2022

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. The accounts cover vagrancy patterns for the family as a whole, reasons for vagrancy, documented examples of vagrancy for specific species and reasons that might account for those incidents.

Compassion 258

Compassion Birds Eagles Science 258

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2022

Every place has its common birds, the species that do very well in a given habitat. As we like to say, these are species that are “hard to miss”, birds that, if you are watching, will be seen. In northern habitats, they could be Common Ravens, geese , or chickadees. Looking for parrots at sites with rainforest?

Costa Rica 147

Costa Rica San Jose Asia Geese 147

10,000 Birds

MAY 11, 2024

Barnacle Geese even made it to “agricultural pest” status. I was going on a quest for a single species – something I normally just don’t do. It’s not officially inside the National Park, but access is easier and the species tally isn’t too shabby, not at all. The top birders for this hotspot have seen close to 100 species.

Spain 218

Spain Ducks Morocco Europe 218

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

Visiting the continent after the end of most of the autumn migration meant that the number of bird species I could see in northern France, Switzerland, southern Germany, and Austria was much reduced. And I did manage to get my first glimpses of some of the species listed in my European bird guides. Only a pair of Mandarin Ducks !

Austria 124

Austria Switzerland Europe Geese 124

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2022

It’s all good and yet at the same time, there are still birding moments made special by seeing life birds, seeing and hearing birds do things we had never imagined, or losing oneself in the fantastic noise made by a flock of parakeets, geese, or migrating thrushes. A ground-dove from another day. Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl.

Costa Rica 251

Costa Rica Birds Owls Geese 251

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

For mankind to snatch away a species’ very existence is wrong on so many levels that I can’t begin to explain them. However, despite our best efforts to wipe them off the face of the earth, some of the more vulnerable species have managed to hang on. this species breeds. Here are some U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Albatross 202

Albatross Endangered Species Bald Eagle Alaska 202