Whilst birding the Jebal Hamrah with Phil Roberts recently we came across a wheatear at the bottom of the escarpment in a largish wadi. It lwas perched ontop of a large boulder in a slightly vegetated area at the foot of the escarpment. On closer inspection in became obvious it was a female Hooded Wheatear. […]
Birding with giants
This morning I had the pleasure and honour to bird with two ornithological giants – authors of e.g. the recently published Handbook of Western Palearctic Birds, Lars Svensson and Hadoram Shirihai. I know Hadoram well since my childhood, but it was the first time I birded with Lars. We met up at Ma’agan Michael with […]
Rufous-capped Lark – Talea Valley
Rufous-capped LarkCalandrella eremicawas recently been split from Blandford’s LarkCalandrella blanfordi. The reasons for the split include genetic differences as well as in its smaller size. Its lower rump and uppertail-coverts are or only slightly shaded rufous vs strongly rufous. It is much paler above, including the colour of the crown and shade of buff and […]
Cyprus Warbler, Photos from Spring 2018
The Cyprus Warbler, (Sylvia melanothorax), is a typical warbler which breeds on Cyprus. The species is a partial migrant, with most birds migrating to north-east Africa and the remainder making short-distance or altitudinal movements to the lowlands and coastal areas of Cyprus. These birds breed in a rather wide range of scrub and maquis, favouring […]
Top three conservation projects for endangered animals
To combat the destructive force that mankind has brought to the planet, various samaritans have sought to conserve, regenerate and protect the endangered species of the planet. There are a number of threats human life poses to the animal world. These include: polluting the natural environment of animals and often their food supply, destroying areas […]
Conserving the Great Barrier Reef
One of the seven wonders of the world, the great barrier reef has been one of Australia’s defining features for decades. The great barrier reef is the largest living structure in the world and is even visible from space. However, in spite of its sheer volume of life, the reef is currently experiencing a difficult […]
November and Early December
Well, November seems to have passed me by without seeing a single bird of any note while much of the UK seemed to be awash with rare Swift’s. I have barely managed to get out due to work commitments and a general low ebb in my birding enthusiasm, this comes to me once in a […]
A Great Day in Maridalen
The cold temperatures continue and we awoke to -7C today with blue skies and no wind. A relaxed trip around Maridalen didn’t reveal huge quantities of birds but there was quality there and I had a long overdue patch tick. The lake held a single Guillemot but not the Long-tailed Ducks and Common Scoters that […]