10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2015

Late morning this past Thursday, 27 August, I was on the East Pond of Jamaica Bay. Phalaropes of any species are a good bird in Queens and this was only my fourth Red-necked Phalarope sighting in my home borough, my first since May of 2011. In fact, it didn’t look like a peep at all.

Jamaica 155

Jamaica Wildlife 2011 Rights 155

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 3, 2020

Learn to read the signs, and you’ll be able to tell the time of year just by which species cross your path… I had the chance to observe some interesting avian activity along the lakeshore this weekend, but the Eastern Bluebirds down in rural Pennsylvania were most distinctively colorful, which counts for a lot with me.

2020 164

2020 Pennsylvania Jamaica Birds 164

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2014

That will be the opening day of the 18th Annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in Titusville, Florida. 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. It hasn’t happened.

2015 196

2015 Wildlife Florida Honduras 196

10,000 Birds

MAY 16, 2021

Of the 113 species they spotted it was hard to pick a single Best Bird of the Weekend, but the Common Nighthawk perched in the north garden at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge rose to the top of the heap. Corey got out for a not-very-big Big Day in Queens with some pals on Saturday. How about you?

Soreing 153

Soreing Jamaica Birds Collecting 153

10,000 Birds

JULY 2, 2024

Taking inspiration from Matthiessen’s 1967 book (long out of print), which combined his natural history essays with species accounts by Ralph S. Species Profile, Black-necked Stilt, p. 57; © 2024 by Pete Dunne and Kevin T.

North America 259

North America America 2006 Delaware 259

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

APRIL 21, 2012

On a recent walk around Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge I took the following picture. Here, let me zoom in for you… It’s a Gray Tree Frog , Hyla versicolor , a common species at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Why is it interesting? What if I give you a clue? Do you see it now? And do you know what it is?

Jamaica 155

Jamaica Wildlife Species 155

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. The Blue-winged Warblers I always look forward to seeing were heard-only, but those beauteous blue buntings made the trip a success. How about you?

2019 115

2019 Bald Eagle Jamaica Eagles 115

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

Over three hundred species of birds have crossed my field of view in Queens in that time including thirty-eight thirty-nine species of shorebird. Now if only someone would find me a Whimbrel … Trips Buff-breasted Sandpiper county listing Jamaica Bay Queens shorebirds' I’ve lived in Queens since March of 2008.

Jamaica 196

Jamaica 2008 Killing Wildlife 196

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 11, 2014

Every single summer when I am out experiencing the mud and heat and shorebirds on the the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge I find myself getting into the same silent argument with myself. Then, invariably,shortly thereafter I spot the other species and decide that it is better. … Birds Jamaica Bay shorebirds'

Jamaica 165

Jamaica Wildlife Birds Species 165

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

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

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. First, I witnessed Ruby-throated Hummingbirds haranguing a Cedar Waxwing in suburban Rochester.

2017 113

2017 Jamaica Birds Wildlife 113

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2011

But, as with so many other species, these birds have been left to do their own whistle blowing. West Indian Whistling Ducks are the largest of the eight different whistling duck species. They are found in the Bahamas, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos, Antigua, Barbuda and Jamaica.

Antigua and Barbuda 219

Antigua and Barbuda Puerto Rico Dominican Republic Jamaica 219

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. As feared, work kept me from appreciating the richness of avian diversity in western New York, but luckily a juvenile Baltimore Oriole crossed my path to provide something fun to observe.

Baltimore 145

Baltimore 2015 Jamaica New York 145

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. Better lay out some suet once the real cold arrives.

Neglecting 100

Neglecting 2017 Jamaica Birds 100

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 119

2019 Jamaica Eggs Woodpeckers 119

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2013

I decided to spend my day Friday birding the heck out of my home borough to see how many species I could track down for the day. Nonetheless, I ended up with 124 species of birds in Queens in the just-over-twelve-hours I spent birding. Still, any day in New York City with 124 species is a day well worth experiencing!

Jamaica 149

Jamaica Oakland New York City Bats 149

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

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. That led me to wonder just how many species of waterfowl can be found in a day’s birding in Queens.

Geese 111

Geese New York City Ducks Jamaica 111

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.

2013 169

2013 Jamaica Birds Wildlife 169

10,000 Birds

MAY 22, 2019

Finding more birds won out and I took the short ride to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge where I enjoyed a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the feeders, the singing Yellow Warblers , and the generally expected birds at Jamaica Bay in May. Wait, what about other thrasher species? That individual was also at Jamaica Bay.)

Jamaica 113

Jamaica New York Owls Eggs 113

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

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. Corey had a host of birds to choose from this weekend what with it being the middle of May, the peak of spring migration in New York. How about you?

2016 100

2016 Jamaica New York Birds 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 20, 2013

It was fun and I ended up with 124 species. And, amazingly, despite visiting less parks and having to end my day even earlier than last time to go pick up my son, I ended the day with the same exact number of species. Worm-eating Warbler was my twenty-first and final wood-warbler species of the day.

Jamaica 169

Jamaica Baltimore Eggs Wildlife 169

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

North of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens is a middle class neighborhood, predominantly Italian-American, known as Howard Beach. … Trips Howard Beach introduced species Monk Parakeets parrots Queens' Named for William J. Monk Parakeet carrying a stick to add to its already bulky nest (Click for a bigger version.).

Parrots 224

Parrots New York City New York New Jersey 224

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. And some of the rest of us went birding! But whether you’re questing for Pokémon or birds, at least you got outside.

Michigan 100

Michigan 2016 Jamaica Birds 100

10,000 Birds

JUNE 18, 2015

This bat is rare and range-restricted in South Florida, which are some of the reasons it was recently listed as an endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The Florida Bonneted was initially regarded as a subspecies of the widespread Bonneted Bat ( Eumops glaucinus glaucinus ), which ranges in Cuba, Jamaica, and Peninsular Florida.

Bats 166

Bats Florida Endangered Species Cuba 166

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. Sophie Osborn’s stories are personal and inspiring, but this is more than a personal memoir.

California Condor 175

California Condor Falcons California Coyotes 175

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. I had a large, half-rotten tree taken down last summer, but chose not to have the stump ground down.

2012 172

2012 Jamaica New York Woodpeckers 172

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2012

Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 15 March 2009 It was at about 1:30 AM on Saturday morning that I startled awake and found myself sitting in an empty subway car in an unfamiliar location. John from A DC Birding Blog , and Patrick from The Hawk Owl’s Nest at Jamaica Bay at 8 AM Saturday morning for some birding.

New York 163

New York Honduras Jamaica Geese 163

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2012

How many species do you hear singing? What species? An even better example to try out the video capabilities of the iPhone was on a recent visit to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. It is certainly not an excellent video but you can see the quantity of birds in the trees and, more importantly, you can hear what is singing.

Chicago 158

Chicago Jamaica Birds Wildlife 158

10,000 Birds

APRIL 14, 2014

We met at the relatively late (for me) hour of 7:30 AM at the parking lot of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. But it was not the plan to bird Jamaica Bay so we got the carpool set up and headed over the bridge into the Rockaways. We also spotted a singleton Black Scoter , a lone Long-tailed Duck , and both species of loon.

Jamaica 133

Jamaica Birds Sparrows Blackbirds 133

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.

Jamaica 187

Jamaica Wildlife Experience Experiments 187

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

Sadly, four other teams did as well, and we finished fourth with our 123 species. Every bird counted as one so common and uncommon species were all appreciated. We later found out that they had not but they had found one at Jamaica Bay later in the day.). (We Then I found a second chat! Had they seen it? (We

Bald Eagle 100

Bald Eagle Jamaica Birds Eagles 100