Many species of birds use shed snake skin in nest construction, but this behavior is poorly understood. In new research, ornithologists at Cornell University used comparative and experimental approaches to suggest that the evolution of this behavior is mediated by nest morphology and predator communities. They used a series of experiments and comparisons to test […]
Tag: Quail
Survival Skills: Cooking in Nature Without Modern Conveniences
Cooking in nature strips back the complexities of modern life, presenting an opportunity to connect with the environment in a primal way. It’s about utilizing what you have, where you are, to nourish yourself. Embracing the wilderness requires a shift in mindset from the convenience-driven approaches of contemporary kitchens to the resourceful, innovative methods of […]

Summer Scenes of Critters at the Pond
A couple of weeks ago I kept hearing a simple, three pitched call from the yard. I went out to investigate and it was the Black-headed Grosbeak fledgling calling to be fed. Click on photos for full sized images. It was a familiar song but I hadn’t heard it since last year and it is […]

South Texas Photography Trip
Over the last several years, in a number of photography forums I follow, I kept seeing wonderful images from several of the photography ranches in south Texas. Each year I would say, I need to get down there. Well, last summer I decided to plan the trip. I asked three of my photog friends if […]

Kiwi reports from the Arava…
Over the last few weeksI’vebeen overloaded with guiding, monitoring, managing and in between being a father to my two sons who are enjoying a Passover vacation and a husband to my lovely wife who supports me throughout. This has led to lack of writing time for the blog…YesterdayIreceived a complaining mail from Shacahr Shalev, a […]

New arrivals…
Like every year this time is very thrilling. Each day brings its surprises and there are plenty of new birds throughout and also a growing number of birders aretravellingaround and bring more updates from the field. Last weekend, the IBRCE ringing station has started its season operation and we have 2 new volunteers – Markus […]

Wildlife Slaughter in South Dakota
Imagine my amazement this morning to see a Google advertisement inviting me to hunt wildlife in South Dakota – and I live in Switzerland! It seems that South Dakota is being promoted as the ideal tourist destination for wildlife hunting. So I clicked on the advertisement and within a few minutes realized that wildlife hunting […]