I had to pop to Christchurch today for a quick survey so got up early and headed to Pennington Marshes first. It was raining when I got up at 05:00 but I was optimistic that it would brighten up and I was at Pennington by 06:15. It was lashing down, I took shelter and scanned […]
POLL: Would Brexit be the best thing for Europe’s wildlife?
Nothing oozes status like a man with an endangered alligator lizard draped over his shoulder that he has bought illegally through a German reptile trade show. These are people not content with a pet bearded dragon or a pet corn snake. They want more. They want something no one else has, even if having it […]
Water birds around Jubail
Whilst birding Jubail recently I came across a nice selection of water birds some of which I have not seen so often this year. Terns are always common in Jubail and Caspian Tern has been seen in numbers up to 100 birds in some visits. It is a local breeding species and can often be […]
POLL: Should bear trafficking in Southeast Asia be stopped?
The population of captive animals on “bear farms” in Laos has been increasing significantly in recent years, despite laws to protect the bears. After mother bears and their cubs—both Asiatic black bears and sun bears—are captured, their bile and body parts are harvested for use in traditional Chinese medicine. An organization called Free the Bears […]
Pato crestón (Crested Duck) Lophonetta specularioides
El Pato crestón es un pato de tamaño grande, alcanza una longitud total de 51 a 61 cm. El macho, más grande que la hembra, pesa entre 1.100 y 1.200 g. Posee una cola aguda, aunque la hembra la tiene menos aguda que el macho. Es de coloración parda ocrácea manchada, con rabadilla y vientre […]
VOTE for the Best Photo of the Week 14 May 2016
Welcome to the “Best Photo of the Week” competition showcasing and celebrating the biodiversity of Planet Earth. Voting is easy and lots of fun. First click an image and browse through the slideshow. Then select the three images you like best of all and click the VOTE button at the bottom of the page. […]
Cleaning up in the valley
With all the travelling of the last week I fancied a local jaunt this morning. I popped down to Cornmill Meadow and with a big tip off from Jim I quickly found his Grasshopper Warbler and whilst here a Cuckoo was heard too. I moved on to Fishers Green and walked the […]
POLL: Should Australia do more to protect threatened species?
Nearly 50 new species of flora and fauna have been added without fanfare to the federal government’s list of threatened species, including nine that are critically endangered. Among the species to be added to the list under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act were the brush-tailed bettong (endangered), the three-toed snake-tooth skink (vulnerable), the […]