John James Audubon “was struck with amazement” at the darkened skies caused by the birds. The man who would become famous as an artist of nature was, not surprisingly, himself a naturalist. Yet his efforts to document the flock’s numbers were futile. “The birds poured in in countless multitudes,” Audubon would write. “The air was […]
Oostvaarders en Lepelaarplassen
Afgelopen zaterdag met een groepje collega fotografen de Oostvaardersplassen in geweest om daar een poging te doen om de bronst van de Edelherten mee te kunnen maken. Aangezien we al bijtijds in het jaar besproken hadden was het dus een gok. Helaas pakte het verkeerd uit want er was nog geen bal te beleven, af […]
Results of the Best Photo of the Week Ended 12 Oct 2013
We are delighted to announce the RESULTS of our most recent “Best Photo of the Week” Competition. First Prize is awarded to Pradeep Kumar for his outstanding image ‘Deadly Combat’. Jessica Kemper wins Second Prize with ‘Sunrise at Halifax Island, Namibia’ and Third Prize goes to Howard Cheek for ‘Child Seat – Titmouse fledgling’ (see […]
Execute elephant poachers on the spot, Tanzanian minister urges
A government minister in Tanzania has called for a “shoot-to-kill” policy against poachers in a radical measure to curb the mass slaughter of elephants. Khamis Kagasheki’s proposal for perpetrators of the illicit ivory trade to be executed “on the spot” divided opinion, with some conservationists backing it as a necessary deterrent but others warning that […]
Swim with dolphins, then eat them in a cafe? Give the poor creatures a break
It’s the most barbarous bit of mixed messaging since the Icelandic whaler Kristjam Loftsson declared he was making his whaling operation “eco-friendly” by running his ships on – whale oil. The Japanese town of Taiji, site of the annual slaughter of thousands of cetaceans as featured in the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove, has declared its […]
Picture-winged Fly
This is Delphinia picta, a picture-winged fly. The fly gets its common name from its striking wing pattern; it has two white triangles on the leading edge of each wing and a few decorative white swirls on a shiny brown background. Very attractive! Picture-winged flies lay their eggs in rotten vegetation. The larvae spend a […]
Owl recorded in Oman could be a new species
Ornithologists working in Oman say an owl discovered in a remote, mountainous region could be a new species. Wildlife sound-recordist Magnus Robb told BBC News that he heard the bird’s call whilst trying to record the call of another type of owl. After repeated trips to the remote site, he and a colleague – naturalist […]
Creature Feature: Reef Lizardfish
You won’t find land-dwelling lizards scampering about coral reefs, but you might do a double-take when you see the reef lizardfish. Also known as variegated lizardfish, these strange reef-dwellers look surprisingly like lizards. They’re found in coral reefs throughout Indonesia and along the coast of India and northern Australia. Lizardfish are named for their habit […]