10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2015

My friend Paul Taillie and I had to meet an intrepid bunch of birders for the inaugural Outer Banks Big Day field trip at the Wings Over Water festival in eastern North Carolina. We were setting the bar for what someone hitting all the good spots on North Carolina’s famous barrier islands could reasonably accomplish.

North Carolina 150

North Carolina Rattlesnake Sparrows Owls 150

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2015

You do, however, see them in January in places like Florida and North Carolina. Images courtesy of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Is this a glitch, then, or part of a larger trend of later, lost-er, more lingering kingbirds? Obviously, one year cannot tell us.

North Carolina 178

North Carolina New York Florida Fish 178

10,000 Birds

MAY 19, 2015

Turns out, Monday brought more than a little rain, and we got soaked as we explored the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge along the ocean. Our last and final stop was the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, one of my favorite birding spots.

North Carolina 168

North Carolina Alligators Wildlife Woodpeckers 168

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2018

When I was reading up on Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and realized that it is supposed to be the easiest place on the east coast to see Black Bears I was pretty excited. There’s an wildlife drive that allows you to explore large chunks of the refuge by car looking for bears (and, of course, birds).

Alligators 113

Alligators Bears Wildlife North Carolina 113

10,000 Birds

JUNE 12, 2012

My route is full of this I, of course, cannot be made to take the blame for either of these unfortunate “incidences” For the first, I blame the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Hardwood forest, some openings. I mean, really.

North Carolina 156

North Carolina Transported Morals Science 156

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 14, 2021

There are several states with 100-199 species: North Carolina (172, unchanged), Washington (171, up from 144), Michigan (159, unchanged), Virginia (147, up from 122), North Dakota (141, unchanged), Idaho (129, up from 57); New Mexico (112, unchanged); Massachusetts (110, up from 81); Colorado (106, unchanged), and Pennsylvania (109, up from 102).

West Virginia 186

West Virginia United States Puerto Rico Minnesota 186

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2018

Considered ‘undeveloped’ as a park, the habitat diversity here is some of the best in North America. Grandfather Mountain State Park, North Carolina. While a small park of only 1,050 acres, it’s surrounded by the massive Chattahoochee Wildlife Management Area. Barred Owl. Photo by © Mike Blevins. Red Crossbill.

West Virginia 167

West Virginia Virginia Kentucky South Carolina 167

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 22, 2013

The birding in North Carolina, for reasons both of my own making and the vagaries of southern “winter” weather, has been a bit slow. Because it’s Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in January, and that’s all any birder really needs to know.

Florida 152

Florida North Carolina Birds Branding 152

10,000 Birds

MARCH 10, 2011

Many winter in Florida, admittedly something of a freak state when it comes to overwintering passerines, but a few Orioles can be found up the coast as far north as North Carolina, and the odd bird finds its way into the Piedmont, the part of the state, well inland mind you, where I live. The proposal from U.S.

North Carolina 140

North Carolina 2011 St. Louis Baltimore 140

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2015

Miracle upon miracle, I actually ran into my college friend at the visitor center, and now that that logistical snafu was taken care of I could actually focus on where I was and, even better, what wildlife we could see. The beauty of traveling lies in the unexpected.

Seals 178

Seals Elephants Whaling Whales 178

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2012

One bird, the authors discovered, flew 5,000 miles nonstop from southern Brazil to North Carolina. Lawrence Niles was chief of New Jersey’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program for fifteen years and now works for the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, a sponsor of this book. Ah, the photographs!

Delaware 176

Delaware New Jersey Eggs Research 176

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 13, 2018

After those five, there are relative handful with over 100 species: North Carolina (172), Michigan (159), Arizona (155), Washington (144), North Dakota (141!), California (297) is next, followed by Florida (227), Oregon (209), and New Jersey (199).

Rhode Island 114

Rhode Island United States West Virginia Puerto Rico 114

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2013

I turned, as I do from time to time, to the butterflies, particularly those species that I can’t see in North Carolina. The Heleconius genus is undeniably tropical, and this is about as far north as this species is seen with any regularity. One of my favorites is Zebra Longwing.

North Carolina 114

North Carolina Florida Zebras United States 114

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 30, 2018

There are more than 550 national wildlife refuges in the United States, with at least one in every state and one within an hour drive of almost every major American city. Many were specifically established for migratory birds and are strategically positioned along one of the four major North American migration flyways.

Wildlife 214

Wildlife Las Vegas Minnesota Texas 214

10,000 Birds

MAY 20, 2023

Pelee National Park – Ohio Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge – Texas These locations offer a variety of habitats including marshes, wetlands, forests, coastal areas, and deserts, attracting numerous bird species throughout the year. Please note that the availability of specific bird species may vary depending on the season.

United States 162

United States Michigan Texas Virginia 162

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2019

A pelagic out of Hatteras, North Carolina , the Biggest Week in American Birding in Ohio , and trip to Puerto Rico stand out as well. My profile page identifies the states that I have not eBirded, including Nebraska, North Dakota, Michigan, Mississippi, and Vermont. Our honeymoon in the U.S Virgin Islands ( St. John and St.

Puerto Rico 142

Puerto Rico Virgin Islands Michigan Washington 142

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 18, 2014

Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the “Rufa” population of Red Knot ( Calidris canutus rufa ) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). From North Carolina south to Texas, just under half of beaches are developed. Birds in Delaware Bay. Photo: Gregory Breese-USFWS.

Endangered Species 160

Endangered Species Protection Delaware Species 160

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2018

I haven’t even been to all of the best national wildlife refuges for birding. I’ve also been on pelagic birding trips on both coasts, out of Half Moon Bay and Monterey, California; Newport, Oregon; and Hatteras, North Carolina. Indeed, eBird tells me that I have yet to submit a checklist from approximately 20 states.

San Francisco 100

San Francisco Portland United States Puerto Rico 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2012

I am really excited to say I’ll be heading down to Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival in Titusville, Florida, next month as a correspondent for 10,000 Birds. Corey let the cat out of the bag a couple days ago. It won’t be my first trip to Florida. In fact, I’ve visited the Sunshine State several times.

Florida 129

Florida North Carolina Miami Family 129

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 13, 2021

Marks National Wildlife refuge in search of water birds – ducks and mergansers in particular. Of course, Snow Geese are named for their appearance, not their proclivity for frozen places, and every year birders do spot the occasional white waterfowl. 2020 was that year for me! I arrived at St. A huge smile spread across my face.

Geese 162

Geese Florida Tampa North Carolina 162

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 14, 2018

Not long ago, I posted a list of the 25 best National Wildlife Refuges for birding. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has published a list of NWRs that have been created or expanded with Duck Stamp funds. Pea Island NWR (North Carolina): 99.2%. And the U.S. Lee Metcalf NWR (Montana): 96.3%. Malheur NWR (Oregon): 25.8%.

Ducks 203

Ducks Wildlife Texas Hawaii 203