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Happy New Year! I’m feeling pretty good about 2012 so far. Not only am I suffused with the pleasant warmth that comes with watching one’s favorite sports team clinch the playoffs, but I also managed to shake off a scant night’s sleep to chase some birds this morning. How about you? My best bird of [...]

On this final day of 2011 it is time, just like it was on the final day of 2010, to share your Best Birds of the Year.  Well, actually, your Best Bird of the Year will only be shared here if you took the time to respond to the post in which we here at [...]

How are the holidays treating you? One hopes that the wheel of karma turns in your favor during this time of festivity and giving. One also hopes you’re seeing excellent birds! Everyone who lives in Rochester, NY knows about the million crows roosting within the city limits. The skies over every neighborhood stream with murder [...]

2011 is about to become 2012 and birders the world over are taking a look at their year lists and reminiscing about the awesome sightings and devastating dips that they have experienced.  We here at 10,000 Birds thought this would be a perfect time to look back and figure out what each of us considered our Best [...]

If you’re reading this, you’ve survived what may have been a very busy weekend of shopping, prepping, and partying. Hopefully you didn’t overextend yourself… the holiday season is just now beginning! I can’t recall a less birdy weekend than the one I just had. My only avian observation of note is how much easier the [...]

Is it better, to paraphrase that ragged old aphorism, to have birded and dipped than never to have birded at all? What if you just don’t see anything special? I didn’t go after any particular bird this weekend, which is good since I hardly saw any. The woods were quiet, so we focused on geocaching [...]

Don’t you just love sharing your best bird of the weekend with people that actually appreciate exciting sightings? Precious few are fortunate enough to work in an office where avian observations are swapped around the water cooler. For those of us who are not in that chosen .0001% (Occupy ABA, anyone?), here’s the place to [...]

Welcome to online retail heaven (or online retail hell if that’s the way you’re wired.) We hope everyone who celebrated the American observance of Thanksgiving enjoyed a delicious holiday. And to all of you, Happy Cyber Monday! You’ll find 10,000 Birds a pleasingly merchandise-light site, at least for the time being. What we’re selling right [...]

November is normally a pretty dull month compared to some of the more extreme periods in our calendar year. The action doesn’t really heat up until right about now as we begin six or eight months of holiday preparation and celebration. I’ve enjoyed November so far, but have doubts about whether I’m ready for the [...]

Last week, I mentioned how odd the weather has been around here. By odd, of course, I mean absolutely lovely. I know these patterns are atypical for western New York. I’m still curious about what my fellow naturalists have noticed: has the weather been odd by you? How so? Enough phenology… let’s get down to [...]

The odd climate patterns lately have conspired with my already suspect grasp of phenology to completely baffle my sense of season. As I’m sure you’ve heard me mention once or twice, winter comes early–very early–to western New York. Yet we’ve barely seen a flake of frost so far. Even more peculiar, I think our foliage [...]

Happy Halloween! See how I assume you celebrate Halloween no matter where in the world you live? Must be the way you’re dressed… The best bird of my weekend was Tufted Titmouse, which has become more prominent here as we approach winter. I forgot how much bigger these birds are than the other species like [...]

In the United States, so much seems to be happening towards the end of October. Not only is baseball hitting the very apex of what excitement it arouses, but the storylines in the National Football League are just beginning to manifest in reality rather than in the empty space between commentators. Kids can’t help but [...]

It was a gusty weekend in New York City and environs, with fall finally feeling like fall is supposed to feel.  Sparrows have almost completely taken over for wood-warblers and temperatures are finally waning as is only proper.  How was your weekend? Mike was in Costa Rica this weekend after what felt like an interminable [...]

What a weekend. New Yorkers enjoyed gorgeous, summer weather and will next enjoy a growing sense of dread as temperatures first wane then plummet. What did you enjoy this weekend? The best birdof my weekend was a Brown Creeper that hung around long enough for me to share with generally nature-numb friends and family; what’s [...]

Sometimes a person should keep his fool mouth shut. Before the weekend began, I opined about how October felt like a real fall month as compared to the capricious climate swings of September. Then the freezing rain began! So much for my weekend… Unless you like House Sparrows more than I do, you won’t be [...]

Fall has officially fallen around here, yet somehow we’ve gotten off to an uplifting start. Finally getting out to look at some birds at the start of the season may just herald an auspicious autumn! I got out to the Braddock Bay Bird Observatory banding station to observe some masters at work. The catch of [...]

How was your weekend? North of the equator, we have precious few remaining days where light exceeds darkness. The encroaching darkness instills in me a measure of gloom, but also creates the conditions that make fall activities interesting. Remember, I’m writing to you from a fairly northern latitude, though Clare probably thinks I’m spoiled! My [...]

How was your weekend? Mine was fun and footballtastic. In fact, a game is on even as I write this, which means I’ve got no time for idle banter. The best birds of my weekend were Seahawks, Eagles, Falcons, Cardinals, And Ravens. Am I the only one here excited about the return of NFL football? Corey [...]

Did you enjoy your summer? The Autumnal Equinox may still be a few weeks away, but make no mistake: summer is over. Time to pack up your white shoes and pick up those school supplies! Fall surely has much to recommend it like migrating birds and mulled cider, but today we in the Northern Hemisphere [...]