To be honest, I never cared too much for swans. On the one hand, they are very easy to see in Germany, swimming in public parks or teaching pensioners how to eat bread. On the other hand, their white color and their considerable size made me see them as somewhat arrogant birds – the white Golf convertible of the bird world. Contrary to how ChatGPT would now continue this post, seeing them at Lake Kussharo did not really change this view. In winter, this lake is almost completely frozen – but a few meters very close to the coast are near some hot springs, and the Whooper Swans use this space ..read more

It is mid-March and I am back in Colorado for meetings. Of course, excellent opportunity to go birding with my friends Brad and Laura. Before the meetings started we had three glorious days of seeking out what we started calling “red-faced rascals” – the series of finches that look like they have been dipped in raspberry coulis. My colleague Doug wrote me an email describing the whereabouts of these “rosy finches” and my wife had to manage my excitement with horse tranquilizer… What a fantastic little birds. I flew into Denver from Mexico. I might have to add the Dallas airport staff to the l ..read more

Of all the gulls that occur in Britain, there’s none that is as pelagic as the Kittiwake. It’s a bird that rarely occurs inland, and outside the breeding season it spends its time far out to sea. British-ringed Kittiwakes have been reported many times from Greenland and Newfoundland, and birds in adult plumage are regularly seen in winter in mid-Atlantic.  In March, as the days start to lengthen, so the wandering birds return to their breeding cliffs. Most male Kittiwakes return to the colony where they hatched, but only a small minority of females do so, though most will nest relativel ..read more

Most weeks, I use a recent outing to inspire my weekly post. This week, however, we had visitors, and I had a bird-free Monday. (Monday is normally my fun day, to paraphrase Prince, and the Bangles.) So I had to look to a fellow 10,000 Birds writer for inspiration, instead. Thanks, Jason, for mentioning Trash Birds — even if you used the phrase in an unusual way. In Jason Crotty’s article this week, he used the common birders’ phrase “trash birds” jokingly, to refer to some trash cans painted with realistic bird images in Portland, USA. But, as most of our readers know, the phrase “trash bird ..read more

In Portland, Oregon, the Golden-Crowned Kinglet is fairly common in appropriate habitat, particularly during migration and in winter. The eBird bar chart for the kinglet in Multnomah County, which includes Portland, is below. But this “tiny, hyperactive songbird” is not found only high in the tree canopy. It also found much lower, adorning some of Portland’s public trash cans. These practical and functional examples of public art were “designed by local artists and chosen in partnership with local community members.” The artist is Alex Chiu (website). He has also collaborated on a huge down ..read more

This post starts like every birding blog post should start – by showcasing some bulbul species. (Yes, I am joking. According to the highly successful book ” 7 Habits of Highly Successful Birding Blog Post Writers”, only about 50% of birding blog posts should start with bulbuls). And of course, given that black is the new black (yes, I know – not a very original phrase), it should start with a Black Bulbul.   If you are more of a part-time lover of the color black, the Black-crested Bulbul may be a better choice. Though you have to give up on the nice red bill. But you gain a crest. I ..read more

I spent a weekend in Munich recently to visit my girlfriend and my brother. As South Germany always has different birds on offer to the area around Bonn, I had to take my camera with me. While I usually only take my binoculars on trips where birding is not really a part but I just want to make sure. I’m sure every birder knows that feeling when some bird flies past and you think to yourself, “I was thinking about whether to take my binoculars and in the end decided not to – I just knew I would regret it. Next time I’ll definitely bring them”. However, my main thought was that perhaps we could ..read more

With the first three months of the year now gone, it’s time for a review of my birding efforts so far this year. At the time of writing, my British year list stands at a modest but satisfactory 139, while my European list is on 173, thanks to a visit to southern Spain in February. The next couple of months will of course see a boost to my British list, as summer migrants flood into England, while forthcoming trips to Cyprus, Greece and northern Spain will also turbocharge the European list.  Pinkfooted Geese in North Norfolk – winter visitors from Iceland My British list is, in fact, me ..read more

Endangered. Extinction. Research. Conservation. These are the words that define so much of our conversations about the natural world today. The chapter titles of Feather Trails: A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds represent both ends of the spectrum: “A World Full of Poisons,” “Malaria,” “Forest Intruders,” “Lead Shock,” “Shot.” But also: “Delisted,” “Growing Up,” “Second Chances,” “No Tags.” And within these chapters are three marvelous stories told by Sophie A. H. Osborn, a passionate field biologist who participates to the core of her being three re-introduction projects aimed at ..read more

Birding Shanghai has its own specific annoyances apart from birds not showing up. One is the continuing destruction of much of its environment. Any place that used to be good for an interesting species last year is likely to have been turned into another construction site this year. The other is that more and more places are closed to the public, jealously guarded by black-clad, Mussolini-inspired watchmen who without any hint of irony tell you that a specific place is privately owned despite the fact that private land ownership does not exist in this supposedly socialist country. Finally, th ..read more