I had thought the warblers below to be a female Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) having returned to Flower Hill Farm. Indeed I was wrong in identifying this nimble Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla) that was busy gleaning the Crabapple orchard of tiny insects from within a profusion of blossoms. Nashville Warbler in Crabapple exhibiting gray head […]
Killdeer – Wash, Fluff and Dry
Last week I photographed a Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) bathing at Farmington Bay Wildlife Management Area in Davis County, Utah. I was in a mobile blind (vehicle) and the shorebird was quite comfortable in my presence. I used my Nikon D300, resting on my Noodle, f6.3, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, […]
A Goliath Stick Note
Stick insects (Goliath pictured) have long stick-like bodies that grow up to 50cm in length. Their bodies resemble leaves, sticks or grass, which makes them extremely good at camouflage. They usually have two pairs of wings, but some species are wingless. There are over 2500 species throughout the world and counting, with 150 represented well […]
Spring in Northants 3 Be quick!
It’s supposed to be very British to talk about the weather so much but that’s what we are all moaning about right now. It’s rained every day for over two weeks and it’s not very warm and it’s supposed to be spring. Huh! I did slip out one day last week and managed a two […]
Tangled Jungle
Trapped inside an obsolete topology, a pavement ant explores the tangled jungle of Escher’s lost maze, her quest complicated by every new angle. • Pavement ant | Tetramorium caespitum
Great Egret – Preening
Just a simple Great Egret (Ardea alba) image that always seems to tickle my funny bone when I view it because of the pose. I was wandering through a Florida Spartina marsh when I came across this egret preening and watched as it seemed to turn itself into a pretzel! Mia McPherson, OntheWingPhotography.com
Polar Bears Can Swim Vast Distances – a potential survival skill
Polar bears are capable of swimming vast distances, a potential survival skill needed in an Arctic environment where summer sea ice is vanishing, a study led by the U.S. Geological Survey showed on Tuesday. The study, published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology, tracked 52 female polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea off Alaska. […]
Sub-species, colour morph or hybrid?
Birdwatchers are becoming more and more interested in trying to identify sub-species of birds that they see. This may be because they feel they can identify most species they see and are trying to extend their knowledge, or for a small percentage they are doing it in case the sub-species in question is ‘split’ into […]