This morning I spent some time at Azamidani, Mount Unzen. There was an outside chance of migrant warblers and thrushes, however only the usual summer breeders and residents. The highlights were seeing the male Narcissus Flycatcher, Blue-and-white Flycatcher and Japanese Thrush. In particular, I observed what seemed to be some kind of courtship display by […]
Canyon Wrens!
It’s been a bit of a bullshit week for a few different reasons, so I’m in the mood for something cute. I mean, I am generally always in the mood for something cute, but right now especially. So I’ll share these ridiculously adorable canyon wrens with you. They fledged a couple days later (5 of […]
A Bestiary ~ Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers
It seems there is a time warp for we must go back to an earlier posting to see the Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. You can read about them in my sixteenth installment of ‘A Bestiary . . . Tales from a Wildlife Garden’ over at Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens.
Ruby on Purpurea…
The flower of Digitalis Purpurea atracts the hummingbirds at the end of the summer. The Green-Backed Firecrown (common name Hummingbird Ruby) is one of the very few species of hummingbirds in our region in Neuquen, Villa La Angostura, Argentina, which stays along of the year. In summer they go up to the mountain and in […]
Zwaluwen in de polder
Naast de vele weidevogels zijn er in de polder ook veel boerenzwaluwen te vinden die ook vaak op een vast stekkie rondscharrelen op zoek naar vliegjes en ander gespuis. Zo heb ik een plekkie ontdekt bij een hek waar de vogels regelmatig weerkomen. Dit hek is bij een sluite met een duiker war ze ingaan […]
Una foto buscada durante tres años
Había organizado durante la semana con la gente encargada de la nueva reserva urbana Arroyo Itá para poder entrar a fotografiar un poco y ver que lo que quedó en el lugar luego de que finalizaran las obras, habíamos llegado temprano con Roby y una vez que nos presentamos al policía ingresamos a recorrer este […]
Twig-Mimic Caterpillar
I was walking on the path that circles Pakim Pond in the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in New Jersey last week. I walked into a gossamer thread that I thought was a spider web. I turned out to be a caterpillar’s silken support line. I looked down and saw a “twig” sticking out of […]
Frogs and other critters of Smiths lake
After being M.I.A. from the Frogs and Tadpoles Study-group (FATS) for precisely 10 years I rejoined the ranks of amphibian aficionados for a 4-day weekend trip to Smiths Lake on the north coast. 10 years ago I visited the lake during a torrential downpour in an attempt to find the elusive Green-eyed tree fog (Litoria […]