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 […]
Shout out to my peeps!
If you happen to be a small bird living in the city, you’re facing a big dilemma. Online dating and electronic security systems aren’t an option—you’re responsible for finding a mate and protecting your own territory. You do this by singing. But the metroplex is loud; sometimes Gotham’s growl of traffic, heavy machinery, and other […]
Sharing Nature: A Week at Maine’s Audubon Camp
At the end of January last year I was surfing the internet, reading birding blogs, when I discovered a January 14th post by Kimberly Kaufman titled “Help us prevent paradise island from becoming paradise lost…”, about the 75 year-old Audubon Camp located on Hog Island in Muscongus Bay. Her message was so compelling that I […]