Her story lost in a chain of plot twists, she makes a sharp turn past unruly buds into a theme park of cool light. • Eastern black carpenter ant – Camponotus pennsylvanicus
When nature conservation can be joined with aesthetical considerations
For people interested by this odonate family, you know that the Calopteryx specie is very fragile and easily destroyed by the agricultural treatments. Here in Switzerland, they are legal recommendations for agricultural workers about the moment to spray your treatment with insecticide, you can’t make it when bees are out for example on fruit trees, […]
Long-billed Curlew in Cheatgrass
Cheatgrass is invasive but I sure think it can be pretty especially with a lovely bird amongst it like this male Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) that I photographed on Antelope Island State Park recently. Cheatgrass is lacy and delicate looking, there can be a slight reddish/pink casts to the stems and seedheads and it flutters […]
Birding in Brazil – third of four days photographing in Serra da Canastra National Park
The first two days were very nice, with several lifers photographed. But this third day kept the best emotions. The goal was to leave São João Batista and go towards the entrance of Sacramento, and therefore we would cover virtually the entire park. Early in the morning we saw some interesting animals, like the Yellow-faced […]
Snowy Egret – Moody Blues
Yesterday I posted a Snowy Egret in flight in what many bird photographers would call good light and the image had wonderful dynamics because of the action of the bird. This Snowy Egret image was taken just after the sun had risen above the horizon in about the same location as the egret image I […]
Stewart Island Robin, Petroica australis rakiura
Stewart Island Robin, (toutouwai) Stewart Island Robin [flowplayer src=’https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/robin-lead-in.mp4′ width=640 height=480 splashend=show splash=’https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/si0067.jpg’ autoplay=false] Stewart Island Robins are yet another New Zealand species to have suffered the depradations of introduced rats. Nesting as they do so close to or even on the ground, their habit of just dropping the fecal sac over the side of […]
Spring in Northants – A name, but not a rose
There is lots of cow parsley in flower by the roadsides at the moment. As a hopeless botanist – or plant-identifier – I like cow parsley because I usually recognise it and know what it is. Cow Parsley has a variety of other names – like most of our plants, it seems. The nicest, which […]
Morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae novaeseelandiae)
Morepork, (Ruru) morepork New Zealand has, or rather had only two native owls. Sadly the Laughing Owl is almost certainly extinct, although a few dedicated enthusiasts still search hopefully. Our other native is the Morepork, or Ruru. Both names refect its quite distinctive call. Morepork are common on Stewart Island and we see them quite […]