For many people the world over, spring migration with the return of our summer songsters is an exciting time of year. The first swallow or cuckoo heralds in the summer and floods our thoughts with summer haze and the smell of wildflowers. When I lived in Ireland March was typically cold and wet and summer […]
Colour Blending
The Green Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus archeri) is one of the several rare and endemic species found only in northern Australia tropical rainforests. With an unusual green tinge, this is the result of black, yellow and white hairs in its fur. With this excellent camouflage this animal can be observed at all levels of rainforest by […]
Legendary Birdwatcher – Fair Isle’s Jimmy Stout 101 Years Old Today
A strange call comes from a flushed Pipit as 14 year old Jimmy walks across the croftlands. The inquisitive young man follows the bird and sees unusual white markings. Later the boy recounts his observation of white mantle stripes and the swooping movement in flight to his father George (Fieldy) Stout and house guest, the […]
Sometimes the birds come to you: Snowy Owl
On a recent Wednesday morning, one of our graduate students came into my office with a quizzical look on his face, seeking my professional opinion on his sanity. Though I am not a psychiatrist, I do know something about birds and he suspected that the Snowy Owl he had just hallucinated flying through campus might […]
Raptor Island – Mull and its Superstars
I used to hear about Mull growing up, with its many eagles and its huge range of wildlife. Seeing documentaries on TV along with hearing things like ‘Europe’s premier wildlife location’ and ‘best place to see birds of prey in the UK’ encouraged me to go for the first time in spring 2009 with my […]
Birds of Ecuador around Mindo
Part 03/8 of Glenn Bartley’s month-long trip around Ecuador. Our next stop was the famous Mindo area where we spent some time photographing one of my favorite Ecuadorian Hummingbirds – the Velvet-purple Coronet (seen below balancing on a branch) . We also got some great looks at a few beautiful Tanagers (such as the Golden-naped […]
Old Grudges, New Passions
Songbirds drag their troubles into the sky, old grudges sparking new passions, modesty abandoned to the wind.
Mute Swans in the Mist
On Friday morning the skies were blue and the day started with a brilliant sunrise in our tiny alpine village. Although the snow had not completely melted there were signs and sounds of spring all around. I decided to go down to the Rhine Delta just across the border in Austria. Unfortunately on the way […]