The first half of February this year was unusually cold in northern Europe. Temperatures down to minus 20 degrees Celsius forced many bird species to move southwards. This year I noticed a large influx of both Bramblings and Siskins into our tiny alpine village. The Eurasian Siskin (Carduelis spinus) has an unusual migration pattern as […]
Birds of Peru – the Marvelous Spatuletail
Part 10/11 of Glenn Bartley’s 3-month trip around Peru – After Bosque Unchog it was back down to Lima and then on northwards. Most people probably don’t realize this – but the Peruvian coast is a complete desert. Traveling back to Lima and then 800km up the coast was a long, long drive. But it […]
Roe (and other deer) Hazards
People, cars, and deer—put them together and you’ve got trouble. A rapidly urbanizing planet is transforming wild lands into habitat for humanity, and the non-human species living in these previously undeveloped areas must either adapt to the new landscape, find someplace else to live (not an easy task), or be erased from the biological census. […]
The Rise & Rise of House Crow in Saudi Arabia
The House Crow (Corvus splendens), as it name suggests is a member of the crow family and is approximately 42–44 cm long (body and tail) and weighs 250–350 grams. Their plumage is glossy black, except for the nape, sides of the head, upper back and breast, which are grey and not glossy. Their bills, legs […]
Birding in Brazil – Ibiraci city, Minas Gerais state
This is my first post, and I’ll share with you some of the birding time I had this week, during Brazilian Carnival, one of the most famous parties in the world. I’m not a carnival enthousiastic, instead, I’m a birder. So, I used some time of my holiday photographing at Ibiraci city, in the Minas […]
Bird-Photography… that’s what I like and do!
Birding with a camera in Thailand. Birdwatching is today, one of the strongest lines of tourism around the globe. According to an U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study, only in the United States of America, birdwatchers contributed with 36 billion USD to the nation’s economy in 2006, and over 20% of all Americans are identified […]
Teaching Birds to 2nd Graders
Today I did a “career day” at a local elementary school, where I taught four different 2nd grade classes about my “career” in birding. It was quite entertaining to tell a group of young children all about birds. The interactive bits were the best! As I showed them a photo of a Ferruginous Hawk, I said, “What […]
Sociable Plover or Hoopoe Lark?!
Another day at the IBRCE produced a good number of Chiffchafs and more Savi’s Warbler. Steppe Eagles were moving in lower numbers today (or because the wind has reduced, they all went higher in the sky?!). Dead-sea Sparrows are becoming exceptionally beautiful at this time of the year and it is a real treat to […]