You are browsing the archives of March.

The month may be winding down, but March Madness is reaching a fever pitch. Sure, college basketball is a big deal, but I’m thinking about the burgeoning spring. Think your coworkers would be up for an office pool to pick the next early migrant to arrive? Perhaps you don’t work in that kind of environment, [...]

Ah, spring is here (at least on my side of the world.) Rather than wax with my usual eloquence on vernal splendors, I’d like to share a silly song that always comes to mind this time of year. My kids just loved the movie Lost in the Woods by Sisbro Studios. Laura and Robert Sams [...]

Friends, birders, countrymen (and women)– lend me your ears. I come not to praise winter, but to bury it. Those of us occupying the boreal half of the planet can give Old Man Winter an exuberant sendoff this weekend, while you on the austral side can say so long to summer. How will you be observing the [...]

To twitch or not to twitch… that is the question facing many listers in the northeastern United States this weekend. The directionally-challenged Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch that Corey documented so lovingly continues to abide where rosy-finches never do.  As long as it persists, this Western species will prompt every birder within 400 miles to consider, however briefly, taking [...]

Feel the damp scent of spring (or the spicy tang of autumn for those of you on the austral side of the Earth) in the air? Don’t get ahead of yourself! Yes, the first feelers of migration will soon infiltrate your budding trees and bushes, but winter may still have plans for us. Living in [...]

Spring is here, right? So why am I looking out my window at 4 inches of snow? Early spring is full of ornithological as well as meteorological surprises. If you can get out there, you may encounter some fancy early migrants. On the other hand, if you live at my latitude, you may just get stuck in [...]

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to those of you who celebrate the day we can all be at least a little bit Irish. And a very happy Masemas for anyone who observes my son Mason’s birthday (probably not as many as the last group!) While we’re celebrating, let’s have three cheers for the coming equinox. On [...]

The equinox has not yet arrived, but the birds on my block don’t seem to care. Cardinals are whooping, grackles are buzzing, and robins are scratching at the permafrost! Well, maybe I don’t live on an actual tundra but around here, winter doesn’t let go easy. What are you up to this weekend? Will you [...]

I don’t know how this month has commenced where you are, but around here March has come in like a lion with multiple personality disorder. Three days in and we’ve had about seven different kinds of weather. No wonder I have no idea if or where I’ll be birding this weekend. Corey feels more confident; he [...]

March is on the wane, presumably going out like a lamb to bring April showers or something like that. Where will you be this weekend and will you be birding? Share your plans in the comments below. I don’t think I’ll have time to dip on Saw-whet Owls this weekend so I’ll try to miss quality [...]

Time to shake off the excesses of St. Patrick’s Day celebration (unless you’re a devotee of drunk birding) and embrace the coming vernal equinox. Where will you be this weekend and will you be birding? Share your plans in the comments below. I’m hoping to hit Owl Woods for early spring migrants this weekend. Charlie will [...]

Feel that change in the air? All around the world, we are moving from one season to another. This transformation is attended by an endless array of enthralling natural phenomena. Get outside and see what I mean!  Where will you be this weekend and will you be birding? Share your plans in the comments below. Exciting [...]

The thaw may not have fully arrived where you live but rest assured it is coming. Unless, that is, you live in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case you can celebrate the return of cooler temperatures. Unless, that is, you live in an equatorial region, in which case March remains business as usual! Regardless of [...]

March is ending which means you’d better get your fun in before April showers begin! Will you be birding this weekend? Let us know what you’ve got planned in the comments below! I just realized that with the first quarter of 2009 almost in the bag, I still haven’t been to Montezuma NWR. Maybe I [...]

Sense that shift in the air? The equinox is upon us, which means a new season is dawning! Those of us north of the equator are finally seeing the signs – and the birds – of spring. My friend David at Birdstack has organized another event celebrating equinoctial avifauna. If you thought seeking out the [...]

Mid-March is upon us, which means the time has come to pay homage to the bloody red god of war, Mars. You did know that the Ides of March, this coming Sunday, were traditionally dedicated to the Roman deity of brutal battle, right? Somehow, I anticipate that more of you will be participating in St. [...]

February was a fun month for us at 10,000 Birds. While Charlie continued to globe-trot (that is a verb, isn’t it?) as usual, Corey and I both got a taste of the international ecotourism circuit. In order to properly unpack out Central American adventures, we’ve declared March Mesoamerican Month hereabouts. We hope you’ll follow along [...]