An exhausted owl has been given a lift in a helicopter after flying more than 100 miles to an off-shore oil rig. The bird crash-landed on a North Sea platform last Wednesday and was looked after by crew members who found it. The short-eared owl was then flown back to land with departing workers and […]
Puffins and turtle doves now as endangered as African Elephant
Puffins and turtle doves are now as endangered as the African Elephant and have been added to a list of animals most at risk of extinction. The much loved British birds have seen numbers plummet in recent years because of harsh winters, and are now under greater threat than even creatures like the humpback whale. […]
Pied Kingfisher – Sabkhat Al Fasl
Whilst ringing at Sabkhat Al Fasl 23 October 2015 I found a Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis flying around near one of the nets. Pied Kingfisher is a scarce winter visitor to Saudi Arabia with most records from the Eastern Province. On 25 February 1999 there were six birds present at Sabkhat Al Fasl (Jubail) and […]
Dive-bombing kingfisher’s underwater hunt caught on camera
If ever we needed proof that the kingfisher really is king of the fishers, here it is. Wildlife photographer Paul Sawer captured these incredible images of the bird’s hunting skills at a pond in Suffolk in the UK. For common kingfishers (Alcedo atthis) like this one, small freshwater fish are top of the menu, although […]
I said I would and I did.
I promised you pikas years ago. Maybe it was months ago, it’s all running together now. But, alas, here they are. Behold the Pika Cute, Cute Pika. If you don’t think they are one of the most adorable goofballs you have ever seen, please exit my page and my life right now. These guys make […]
POLL: Which is the best way to save the rhino from poachers?
Rhinos are in trouble. The ancient Sumatran rhino has been declared extinct in Malaysia, following the fate of black rhinos in West Africa in 2011. Central Africa’s northern white rhino has been reduced to four animals, and conservationists say the more plentiful southern white rhinos are under unprecedented attack from poachers eager to sell the […]
Fatu Hiva Monarch on the brink of extinction
The Fatu Hiva Monarch is not as well-known as its cousin, the Tahiti Monarch, but i’s existence is even more threatened. It lives on Fatu Hiva, a remote island which is part of the Marquesas Archipelago, 1500 km from Tahiti. There are now just 25 adults left in the world and as few as 5 […]
Another 22 elephants poisoned with cyanide in Zimbabwe reserve
Zimbabwean rangers have found the bodies of 22 more elephants that were poisoned with cyanide in the country’s Hwange national park. The grim discovery brings to 62 the number of elephants poisoned by poachers in this southern Africa country in October. Rangers found the carcasses of the elephants in Hwange park’s Sinamatella area on Monday […]