10,000 Birds Month in Review: October 2003

By Mike • October 31, 2003 • No comments yet

October 2003 was another outstanding month for the Core Team, one that brought us down the Delmarva Peninsula for a family fishing trip. Of course, we had to check out the wild ponies of Assateague Island while we were there! Not only was the birding excellent at Virginia’s Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, but we stopped at the brilliant Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware. October is an excellent time to visit any of these picturesque parks.

Sea of Egrets

What else did we do this month? Among other things, we defined the word gallinaceous, explained the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and provided perspective on why fish watching is such hard work. We also featured 2 more reasons to become a bird watcher, namely the low cost of entry and burgeoning popularity.

Wild Ponies of Assateague Island

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About the Author

Mike

Mike is a leading authority in the field of standardized test preparation, but what he really aspires to be is a naturalist. Besides founding 10,000 Birds and I and the Bird, Mike has also created a number of other entertaining sites and resources, particularly the Nature Blog Network.

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Asides

The Birder’s Report becomes a Species Champion

Excellent news from Larry Jordan, the force behind The Birder’s Report: he’s joined BirdLife’s ‘Preventing Extinctions Programme’ as a Species Champion. The PEP focusses on saving the 192 most threatened birds on the planet, and with supporters with the conservation creds of someone like Larry perhaps it will become far better known in North America than currently. Let’s hope so - and who’ll be next to join I wonder?

First Bird of 2010

What was your first bird of 2010? Let us know in the comments…and, if you wrote a blog post or have a picture of your first bird of the year online somewhere, well, leave a link in the comments too.
Happy New Year from all three of us at 10,000 Birds! And here’s hoping you see many great birds, including lots of lifers, in 2010!

‘Mermaids’ battered by boats

“Each year, about 87 manatees are killed by collisions with boats, the single greatest cause of premature mortalities. This is more than seven times number of manatees that the Fish and Wildlife Service estimates can be killed without impairing the species’ recovery. Meanwhile, boating in Florida is at an all-time high and increasing with more boats in the water…”. Another good example of why the International Year of Biodiversity ought to matter.

Residents Crying Foul…

…over Common Peafowl. Seems that Longboat Key, Florida, has way too many of the gorgeous gregarious birds and has to continually cull the flock. And Longboat Key isn’t the only community in the U.S. with a peafowl problem: apparently California and Texas locations have had issues as well. So introducing non-native birds because they are pretty might not be the best idea? Who would’ve thunk it?