The Arabian Waxbill is an endemic species of Arabia and occurs in the south and west of the country where it is one of the most difficult endemics to see. Phil Roberts and I managed to see up to ten birds in a wadi in Wadi Thee Gazelle, where the birds were initially seen on […]
POLL: Should Thailand’s illegal bird trade be stopped?
Thousands of birds are being sold — often illegally — in Thailand’s markets, a new study has found. On a single weekend in March 2015, researchers from TRAFFIC, the wildlife trademonitoring network, found a total of 117 species of birds on sale at the Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok, Thailand. These included nine species listed […]
Birding at the Bog with Pip and Lisa
This weekend I headed to the Sax-Zim Bog with my little dog Pip and my good friend Lisa. We’re in the silent part of summer now, when parent birds are busy chasing their little ones around more than singing, but we got to hear a surprising number of birds on Nichols Lake Road when we […]
Baby killer whale fights for life in New Zealand harbour
A baby orca separated from its mother and pod for two weeks is slowly dying in a New Zealand harbour, despite a taskforce being set up to try and save it. The orca – nicknamed “Bob” by locals – was separated from its pod two weeks ago and has been swimming in the waters of […]
Alaska – 13th June (Day 17)
It was our final mornings birding in Barrow and indeed in Alaska as this was the final day of the trip. We decided to head out to the point to get some final views of Polar Bear. As we drove along the coast road the male Snowy Owl from yesterday was perched close to the […]
POLL: Should geese who ravage crops be culled?
MORE than 700 greylag geese are to be shot in the Outer Hebrides and turned into burgers in a bid to stop the birds ravaging crofters’ crops. The three-year pilot project to manage the goose population of Lewis and Harris – approved by Scottish Natural Heritage – is activated today. The trial aims to reduce […]
Mongoose on the loose in Tonga
For island habitats where the indigenous flora and fauna evolved in the absence of mammalian predators the threat of invasion is an ever present danger. There are numerous examples in Oceania where the sudden arrival of rats and other species saw a rapid decline in the indigenous flora and fauna and numerous extinctions. This nightmare […]