Happy New Year to everyone and to all you birders out there I hope you’re 2013 year list has got off to a good start. Mine is so abysmally average I’m not even going to let on! Struggled to get out what with one thing and another … weather mainly, but I did get out […]
In April 2012 my good friend and I went on a month-long road trip to Australia’s Northern Territory – the state known as the country’s wildlife capital famed for its diverse and spectacular wilderness areas. We started the journey in the coastal town of Elliston in South Australia, crossed the continent to the northern ocean […]
I scatter seeds on my porch for the birds when the weather gets cold. This morning I had lots of visitors. Click on the photos to enlarge. House sparrows, Passerdomesticus, are always the first to arrive. They like seeds and breadcrumbs. They usually come in a group. The cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, eats seeds, nuts, and […]
The Zenaida Dove (Zenaida aurita) is a member of the bird family Columbidae, which includes doves and pigeons. It is the national bird of Anguilla, where it is commonly (but erroneously) referred to as a Turtle Dove. Factsheet: Zenaida Dove Zenaida aurita
The Wood-Pigeon (Columba palumbus) is a member of the dove and pigeons family Columbidae. In the colder northern and eastern parts of its European and western Asiatic range the Wood Pigeon is a migrant, but in southern and western Europe it is a well distributed and often abundant resident. Factsheet: Common Wood-pigeon Columba palumbus
The Rock Pigeon (Columba livia), or Rock Dove, is a member of the bird family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the “pigeon”. The species includes the domestic pigeon, and escaped domestic pigeons have given rise to the feral pigeon. Originally found wild in Europe, North […]
Across the Straits A couple of days ago I took our boat over to Bluff to collect a load of diesel fuel. The distance is about 22 miles, wharf to wharf, and Foveaux Straits has the reputation of being an unpleasant stretch of water. Its a well deserved reputation, being quite shallow, with significant tidal […]
Sea Birds We have had several days of easterly weather, starting with SE gales and rain, easing to fresh easterly and fine sunny days. Easterly gales and rain is seriously unpleasant here, as we are quite exposed to that quarter. However today dawned fine and calm, although there was still a moderate swell coming into […]