10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 19, 2023

Photos courtesy of Mosetlha Bush Camp A dusty-red road leads me through Marico bushveld deeper into the 750 square kilometers large wilderness of the Madikwe Game Reserve – the 4th largest reserve in South Africa, home to 350 bird and 66 mammal species, some 4 hours’ drive from Johannesburg. They raise their trunks, sniffing the air.

South Africa 267

South Africa Africa Game Elephants 267

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Everything was going to be extinct – the condors, the whales, the Whooping Cranes , the elephants and tigers, the whole shebang, and that was even if we didn’t get nuked. A species, wiped off the earth, never to exist again. Extinction is what befalls the species that fails to adapt, to survive, to thrive.

California Condor 233

California Condor Guam Whales Whaling 233

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2022

For once, eBird gives a good description of the Asian Glossy Starling, calling it a “Fierce-looking, large songbird” As are humans, this species is fairly urbanized – it “sometimes enters urban areas to roost, e.g. in Singapore” (HBW). In Singapore, Common Redshanks mostly drink Tiger Beer. “Odd, me?”

Singapore 261

Singapore Birds Zebras Feral 261

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2013

A dusty-red road leads me through Marico bushveld deeper into the 750 square kilometers large wilderness of the Madikwe Game Reserve – the 4th largest reserve in South Africa, home to 350 bird and 66 mammal species, some 4 hours’ drive from Johannesburg. They raise their trunks, sniffing the air. Sniffing us.

Africa 229

Africa South Africa Elephants Rhinos 229

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 29, 2019

There are numerous bird species that we only observe when we are many miles from home and some bird species we have rarely observed. The grass and other vegetation had been slashed recently, which was a relief after yet another Tiger Snake encounter this past week whilst walking alone. Two new birds for 2019 just like that!

Portland 166

Portland Tigers 2019 2020 166

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. A Kerkini mini-tiger Disappointingly, mammal encounters are few, other than the odd Roe Deer. It was photographed on the east embankment.

Greece 245

Greece Pelicans Geese Buffalo 245

4 The Love Of Animals

APRIL 20, 2012

Especially it is associated with dogs, which may raise kids of other species and even of scary and dangerous representatives of wildlife! One of the recent developments, which caught an eye of many pet-lovers, is an adoption of three newly born tigers by German shepherd in Chinese Reserve on January 2012.

Badgers 100

Badgers Tigers Porcupines Zoos 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2022

It is not particularly big but has a reported 430 bird species including migrants, though during my short stay it seems I missed most of the key attractions among them. Great White Pelican is not just the name of a non-existent glam-rock band but also of a bird species. Pel’s Fishing Owl, where were you?

South Africa 147

South Africa Africa Birds Fish 147

10,000 Birds

MAY 25, 2023

Note to other species: better do not rely on mature primary forests, as this may lead to extinction. This says more about my inability to differentiate between warbler species than about the rarity of the bird – but the bird was kindly singing. Also, do not smoke as it is not good for your health.

Birds 130

Birds Cattle Raised Mammals 130

4 The Love Of Animals

NOVEMBER 24, 2011

Shark Attack Experiment: LIVE will feature a team of free-divers and conservationists putting their safety on the line to separate myth from reality and dispel negative myths about sharks while raising public awareness about shark species which are being driven to extinction.

Sharks 100

Sharks Experiments Experience South Africa 100

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2022

After writing this last sentence, I looked up the species in the HBW and found the sentence “Song poorly documented” in the appropriate section, while with regard to calls, the description is that “call is a two-note raspy nasal ‘ryeeh-reh’”. In New Zealand, the Spotted Dove is an introduced species.

Mountain Goats 147

Mountain Goats Singapore Giraffes Birds 147

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2017

In fact, we saw two species of monkey, our only sloths, lots of coatis, and my rarest ever mammal sighting—a Jaguarundi —right on site. Seriously, Panama raises the art of under-communication to new, deplorable heights. Thus, I arrived in Panama with 204 species on my country list and low expectations for more than a handful of lifers.

Panama 100

Panama 2017 Monkeys Family 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2022

There was a Gartered Trogon right above me, and one cooperative Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth on a cecropia tree, raising its head to smile at us. In a rock-garden in the middle of the river, one Fasciated Tiger-Heron was fishing, with both Amazon and Green Kingfishers nearby. Next goal: 1100 species, to cover about 10% of the total.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Nicaragua 2019 Farming 264

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

Forget lions, tigers, and bears – if Internet listicles are to be believed, all of Oz is full of crocodiles, sharks, jellyfish, snakes, spiders – even magpies – that are dead set on killing, maiming, or injuring any humans they encounter.

2019 262

2019 Australia Fowl Ducks 262

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 10, 2022

For this reason, the species is evaluated as Vulnerable.” The Rufous-tailed Robin used to be called Swinhoe’s Robin but apparently, somebody decided that there were already too many bird species (6, according to the HBW) named after him. The Latin species name, however, is still elegans. And it is still justified.

Birds 245

Birds China Eggs Owls 245

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 7, 2019

He raised his binoculars above his head and cried out with courage and clarity, “I am Sparticus!” Bare-throated Tiger-Heron – Tigrisoma mexicanum. Something needed to be done. Somebody had to take one for the team. Mike fixed me with his cold, steely, gray-eyed stare. Spotted Sandpiper – Actitis macularius.

2019 159

2019 Farming Sparrows Charlotte 159

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

The White-shouldered Starling is not very common in Shanghai or even in China in general, despite its species name sinensis. It is another species on which limited information is available – there is still work left for ornithologists outside of the determination of mitochondrial DNA. Who would have thought.

Tigers 130

Tigers Birds Ecuador Humane 130

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2023

Like the Eastern Crowned Warbler (which eBird mysteriously calls a “boldly marked songbird” despite its similarity to about 50 other warbler species) … … and the Arctic Warbler (or maybe some other warbler looking very similar). The third shrike seen in Shanghai this month was the Tiger Shrike.

Birds 130

Birds China Taiwan Raised 130