The Northwest Passage is not an obvious choice for a holiday cruise. It is, after all, one of the most notorious ocean routes. Many hundreds of sailors died in opening up the seaway, which links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans via the Canadian Arctic, before it was conquered just over a century ago. But the […]
Central Winds Park in September
Central Winds is starting to get interesting. A couple days ago we had a Blue-winged Warbler there, and there’s been between 8-10 species seen there each day. There are lots of Northern Parula here, sometimes more than 20, and there have been a fair number of Redstarts, Yellow Warblers, Yellow-throated Warblers, and Black and White […]
In Iceland You Can Watch Rare Whales by Day and Eat Whales (Rare) by Night
The harpoon had clearly done its job: All around its tip the fin whale’s flesh and organs were shredded, turned into a bloody pulp. “It was a good shot,” says Kristjan Loftsson, pointing to the gaping cavity. The grenade-tipped weapon was embedded deep inside the 60-foot mammal. The violence of the impact meant that – […]
Named and shamed: the Scottish salmon farms shooting seals
The “naming and shaming” of salmon farms which have shot 180 seals around the Scottish coast over the last two years has prompted calls for a boycott by consumers and supermarkets. The caged salmon industry, backed by the Scottish Government, fought to keep the identities of the individual fish farms and companies that killed seals […]
Tribes and birds of the Lower Omo Valley by Adam Riley
Ethiopia, a landlocked country situated in the Horn of Africa, has firmly established itself as one of Africa’s top birding destinations. Its great diversity of habitats hosts an incredible bird count of over 900 species, including Africa’s 2nd highest list of endemics and near-endemics (after South Africa). These 15 endemics and nearly 40 near-endemics (many […]
Camouflaged!
“The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.” Henry Miller
POLL: Should the slaughter of black bears in Wisconsin be stopped?
In one week, Sept. 9 – October 13, will start the slaughter of 4,750 black bears, mostly cubs less than 2 years old, over unlimited packs of dogs and bait. These bears will be run to exhaustion in this late summer heat, as they have been all summer ( for the entertainment of “families”) and […]
Banned pesticides pose a greater risk to bees than thought, EU experts warn
Three pesticides banned in Europe for their potential to damage bee populations could pose an even greater threat than was thought, according to a new assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa). Already proscribed for seed treatments and soil applications, the Efsa analysis says that clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam also pose a ‘high risk’ […]