This story was produced in collaboration with Bellingcat. JAKARTA — A new report by Mongabay and independent journalism organization Bellingcat has uncovered several Facebook groups selling protected species in Indonesia, one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. In a Facebook group whose Indonesian name translates to “West Bogor Animal Selling and Trading Forum,” […]
Tag: Barn Owl
Birdwatch: a rare winter sighting of the short-eared owl
An owl? Or just a gatepost? In my experience, it’s usually a gatepost. So as I drove home across the Somerset Levels, returning from my first starling murmuration of the year, I was convinced that the owl-shaped lump a few yards away was just that. It was also dark brown, unlike the barn owls I […]
Concern over ‘cruel’ fox traps on Black Mountain
A wildlife conservationist has spoken of his “heartbreak” after finding makeshift fox traps on Belfast’s Black Mountain. Aaron Kelly said the traps were made out of old shopping trollies and hidden on privately-owned land overlooking the city. One was baited with a dead magpie on a lever which would slam the trapdoor shut behind any […]
California couple confided about stuffed mountain lion to fellow fliers, authorities say. They were in for a shock
They were just passengers aboard an airplane, flying over California and having a chat. The couple was relating their adventures in hunting to the pair of fliers in the row ahead of them. Things apparently got cozy, and they confided that they had hunted a mountain lion. In fact, they said, a close relative was […]
The Itombwe owl: Two birds and an identity crisis
Everything we know for certain about the Itombwe owl comes from just two individuals: one dead for more than 70 years, and the other also most likely dead by now. The second, a small, chestnut-colored owl, was netted by Tom Butynski’s team in 1996; a wild owl can expect to live 10 years. Butynski tells […]
Adorable orphaned baby owls get happy ending a year after their nests were destroyed
Over a dozen orphaned baby barn owls from Washington, who tragically lost their nests, have now found their new home. About 15 owls were left without any shelter after the haystacks supporting their nests were removed last year in the state. As a temporary relief, the hooters were sent to the Blue Mountain Wildlife facility […]
Purple Heron at Burnham
We attempted to find the Baikal Teal at Ouse Washes today but failed despite checking every hide and walking around six miles in the process. We did find a few Garganey and a Black winged Stilt along with Barn Owl, Marsh Harrier, Ruff and a dozen Greenshank. Hopefully the Teal will give us another opportunity. […]
North Norfolk – 7th to 10th February
Sarah had brought for me, at Christmas, a photography course with David Tipling and so we all headed up to North Norfolk for the weekend. David is a recent convert from Nikon to Olympus and is now an ambassador for Olympus. The main aim for me was to glean some of his knowledge in using […]