Mrs D and I have just returned home from a week in the Scottish highlands joining up with son Dan and his good wife Mary and their two young children Martha and Theo. We were based in Nethybridge which is in easy reach of all the wildlife hotspots. Although more of a family holiday I […]
War dancing Pygmy elephants of Borneo’s Deramakot Forest Reserve
While looking for the Clouded leopard in Borneo, we came across the herd of Borneo Pygmy elephants in Deramakot Forest Reserve a few days in a row. Unlike most pygmy elephants that would retreat at the first sight of a vehicle, this herd was very relaxed. They were happy to stay on the road and […]
Plenty of White-crowned Wheatear – Jebal Hamrah
A very early morning trip to Jebal Hamrah turned up plenty of White-crowned Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga. The birds preferred areas near to the steep cliff faces and as we arrived at dawn it was not too hot so we had a walk around some likely looking areas seeing quite a few and many more whilst […]
Results of the Best Photo of the Month March 2018
We are delighted to announce the results of our latest photo competition. Candy McManiman wins First Prize for her brilliant image “Darwin’s Fox”. Kath Aggiss wins Second Prize for her brilliant image “Steenbok”. Third Prize goes to Noushka Wildlife for her inspiring photo “Whiskered Tern”. See detailed results below: (click on thumbnails for full scale […]
Crested Hawk Eagle in Pench
Keeping in mind that it had been a few years since we visited Pench National Park, we planned a trip there for a couple of days on-route to Tadoba National Park. It was peak summer in Central India; the temperatures were soaring and hovering in the mid 40s (centigrade) when we started our first afternoon […]
Amazing Discovery: Yucatan Bird’s IQ – Superior to Humans’
We have all heard or used the expression “Bird-Brain.” Birds have comparatively small brains, and because of that we humans place them at a very low level of intelligence. Yes, we recognize that we can train birds of certain species to react to a limited assortment of commands, but animal science has, until now, been […]
Eastern Orphean Warbler – Jebal Hamrah
Whilst birding Jebal Hamrah in early March I saw a male Eastern Orphean Warbler Sylvia crassirostris in a small shrub in one of the wide wadies along the bottom of the escarpment near Judah. This species is a scarce passage migrant to all areas, rather common in the west but rare in the Gulf, with […]
Collared Scops Owls in Pench
Pench National Park, in Madhya Pradesh, India is yet another Tiger Reserve known for some spectacular sightings of the majestic animal. During our visit there, we stayed at Taj Bhagvan, a lovely property on the fringes of the national park. During our safari, we had evinced interest in sighting not just the Tiger, but also […]