The ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis, should have been exterminated by now in the UK, hunted down and shot at a cost of roughly £3,000 a bird. If you see one you are supposed to report its position so it too can be eliminated. Peak numbers 20 years ago were 6,000 birds – that was down […]
Tag: Ruddy Duck
Spring is for the Birds and Birders!
As days get longer and temperatures begin to climb, birds and birders are anxiously waiting for that annual bliss that comes with the change in seasons. Yes—you know what I am talking about: Spring Migration. While some species are already on the move, we’re waiting for that burst of northward movement from the bulk of […]
Ruddy Ducks Catching A Little Sun
I had the pleasure of seeing Ruddy Ducks sunning themselves this morning. It is usually difficult for me to get a good view of the subtle plumage detail on the wintering Ruddy Ducks (breeding males have bold color). From a distance I usually identify these diving ducks out by seeing their scoop-shaped bills and upright […]
Ruddy Ducks
Do you know what time ducks wake up? At the quack of dawn! Do you know how to get down off a horse? You don’t get down off a horse, you get down off a duck! A man and a duck are walking outside together. Suddenly the man sees a low flying plane and yells, […]
Shooters set their sights on UK’s last remaining ruddy ducks
It is American, oversexed and over here, but the days of the ruddy duck in the UK are finally numbered, with the latest culling data revealing that just 10 females remain. The shooting of the final few – at about £3,000 a bird – will mark the end of half a century of occupation by […]
UK nature reserves attract new bird species
The UK’s nature reserves act as ‘ecological welcome mats’ to new species, according to scientists. Since the 1960s, there has been a natural influx of wetland bird species from continental Europe. Species such as whooper swans, Cetti’s warblers and little egrets have used the nature reserves to colonise new areas of the UK, found the […]
Do You Enjoy Our National Wildlife Refuges?
Do you enjoy our National Wildlife Refuges? Did you know that our national wildlife refuges are home to more than 700 types of birds, 220 varieties of mammals, 250 kinds of reptiles and amphibians, 1,000 species of fish and countless invertebrates and plants. They provide havens for some 280 endangered species, from the Florida panther […]
Rare Art Works by John James Audubon at Auction on December 5th Part IV
A rare collection of 82 original, hand-colored engravings of birds and quadrupeds by John James Audubon will come under the hammer in New York on 5th December 2012. “The Birds of America” was published in London between 1827 and 1838 by Robert Havell. Although some items will be purchased by art galleries for public display, […]