The crow family, corvidae, includes some unmistakable characters. It’s hard to confuse a magpie with anything else. The same goes for a jay. But for every colourful corvid, there are many others whose wardrobes are uniformly funereal. Distinguishing the predominantly black corvids of Britain and Ireland – carrion crow, rook, raven, chough and jackdaw – usually requires looking beyond the […]
Tag: Rook
Long Island Zoo Closing After Years of Animal Neglect Allegations
Long Island’s largest zoo, the Holtsville Ecology Center’s animal refuge, is officially shutting down after more than 40 years of operation. According to the New York Post, Brookhaven town officials confirmed that the taxpayer-funded facility, which has long faced alarming allegations of animal abuse and neglect, will close by March 2026. The roughly 100 animals […]
Raptors illegally shot and killed as they rest in barns and roosts, Utah officials say
Several species of raptors, including hawks and owls, were illegally shot and killed in southern Utah over the last few months, wildlife officials said. Eleven birds were found shot and killed between December and February, the Utah Department of Natural Resources said in an emailed news release on Feb. 27. Natural Resource officers determined all […]
Shorebird Clock = Right Tide And Right Time
Last weekend when I checked visited the Westbrook shoreline early in the morning. Right from the start I knew it was the right tide and right time for seeing shorebirds. As I started to walk up the beach a yellowlegs seemed to be leading the way. This may not look like the ideal place […]
Fall Comes And Goes In The Blink Of An Eye
It was just a couple of weeks ago that summer was coming to an end. I was walking through the fields and you could feel the cooler air pushing in the morning fog. It’s usually around the end of September that Great Egrets start showing up at the rookery where the Great Blue Herons left […]
Quiet Mockingbirds
When I picture a mockingbird, it often looks like the one below – sitting on a conspicuous perch with beak open and singing loudly. But mockingbirds don’t sing in winter. I have written about winter mockingbirds before – but every year I notice their seasonal personality change. For the last few weeks, as the weather […]
Spring Birds in Winter
Remember the polar vortex winter we had last year? This robin came to my window every cold morning of it with his feathers so puffed up he looked downright chubby. I fed him raisins for breakfast straight through until spring. He’s back! He (or so…
Southwest Florida Birding Hot Spots
I just finished my 2013 Southwest Florida birding and photography trip. February is nesting and mating season so the birds are active and decked out in breeding plumage making for great photo ops. Some chicks, such as great blue herons and anhingas, have already hatched. It’s a great time of year. I’vebeen shooting in Florida […]