More hen harriers were killed in 2023 than in any other year on record, a report has found. The RSPB’s Birdcrime report also found that at least 1,344 individual birds of prey were persecuted in the UK between 2009 and 2023, and that 75% of people convicted of offences related to the persecution of birds […]
Tag: goshawk
Rare “Lost” Bird Of Prey Photographed For First Time Ever In Papua New Guinea
When Fiji-based photographer Tom Vierus was busy taking pictures of the birds on Papua New Guinea’s New Britain in March this year, little did he know that his memory card was storing quite the scientific find. Now, ornithologists have revealed that what Vierus had managed to capture was the first-ever photograph of the rare New […]
Africa’s Birds of Prey Are Experiencing an Extinction Crisis
Birds of prey in Africa are currently experiencing an extinction crisis, with more than two-thirds potentially threatened, according to a new study by an international research team led by The Peregrine Fund and researchers from the University of St. Andrews. Of the 42 species profiled in the report, 88 percent have declined over a 20- […]
Wryneck
The winds changed to the south today and whilst that did not bring any immediate changes to the birdlife in Maridalen it might mean that the rain that is forecast to start at 3am tonight might well bring down a lot of migrating birds (ever the optimist). Three flocks of Pink-footed Geese heading north today […]
A quick catch up
I’ve spent some time this week looking for the Epping Harrier without any joy but still had plenty of action with Red Kites, Buzzards and Sparrowhawks all showing in good numbers. A male Goshawk and a pair of Raven added to the drama as did a day calling Tawny Owl, lots of Deer and a […]
A week in the forest of Dean
Just back from a week away in the Forest of Dean with my grandson with limited birding opportunities as the week was geared around ensuring he had a good time. I added a few year ticks with Ravens in the garden of our cottage and I twitched the Yellow-browed Warbler a couple of miles from […]
Sleeping Pygmy Owl
It really is quiet at the moment on the bird front. Summer migrants have all left but there are very few exciting winter birds around. The Pygmy Owls in Maridalen don’t seem to be around anymore with a bird I saw early on Saturday morning the last sighting. There have been some reports of large […]
Scotland 2017
A short break in Tomatin up in the highlands of Scotland has given me the chance to see some fabulous sites again whilst picking up a few year ticks and grabbing a few record shots. First I visited a fish farm near Cairn Gorm and managed to see my first Osprey of 2017 without having […]