The Iberian lynx – one of the world’s rarest wild cats may disappear from the face of the earth within the next 50 years, despite millions of dollars spent on conservation efforts. In the early 2000’s the species was already on the brink of extinction with only around 100 animals left in the wild. The […]
Author: Margarita Steinhardt
Margarita Steinhardt is a wildlife ecologist by training but more of a naturalist by inclination. She has graduated with Master of Wildlife Conservation degree from Macquarie University in Sydney and is currently based in Australia. Margarita has been photographing wildlife for a number of years, throughout her work and travels in Thailand, India, Africa, and Russia, as well as Australia. What drives Margarita is the excitement of a new destination and new species to be found and photographed there.
Frogs and other critters of Smiths lake
After being M.I.A. from the Frogs and Tadpoles Study-group (FATS) for precisely 10 years I rejoined the ranks of amphibian aficionados for a 4-day weekend trip to Smiths Lake on the north coast. 10 years ago I visited the lake during a torrential downpour in an attempt to find the elusive Green-eyed tree fog (Litoria […]
Sulfur-crested cockatoos
Sulfur-crested cockatoos are fun birds to watch. They carry on like drunken sailors on shore leave, making complete fools of themselves. Sydney Botanic Gardens is a good place to watch them in late afternoon.
Hidden in plain sight – Frogs and other wildlife of the Watagan Mountains
Stretching along the southern end of the Great Dividing Range, between the Hunter River Catchment and the Tuggerah Lakes, WataganMountains are part of the Eastern Escarpment World Heritage area. Only an hour’s drive north of Sydney, these mountains containpatches of rainforest that trace their origins to the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. Despite being made up […]
Wildlife of Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Kangaroo Island is often referred to as ‘Australian Galapagos’. And for a good reason. Because of its isolation, Kangaroo Island is free of many diseases and pest species found on the mainland, providing a much-needed breeding safe heaven to a wide variety of wildlife species. It is a premier eco-tourism destination in Australia that I […]
Waterbirds and migratory waders of Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney Olympic park is one of the best places to see waders and waterbirds in the Greater Sydney environs. At the Waterbird Refuge pond artificial islands have been set up to provide additional habitat for a breeding colony of Black-winged stilts (Himantopus himantopus). In summer months migratory species make their home at this pond before […]
Finding mammals in Sydney (Urban mammals)
When most of us think about wildlife watching, cities are not the environments that usually come to mind. Typically urban development is associated with habitat destruction and local extinctions. However, not all wildlife species are equally affected by human activities and some have adapted and become quite successful in human-dominated landscapes. Sydney – Australia‘s largest […]
Finding mammals in Sydney (Marine mammals)
One of the most exciting things that happens off Sydney coast is the Humpback whale migration. The whales migrate past Sydney twice a year. From April to mid August they are heading north to give birth and mate in the waters of the Coral Sea off Australia‘s northeast coast.From mid August to mid December the […]