Hutias are a strange group of rodents living on various islands of the Caribbean. Although big, and sometimes looking a little plump, they’re active climbers and spend a considerable amount of their lives in trees. They look almost like a cross between a squirrel and a beaver, but are only distantly related to either. Instead, […]
Tag: Warblers
Drier Winter Habitat Impacts Songbirds’ Ability To Survive Migration
A new study from researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) shows environmental conditions in migratory birds‘ winter homes carry over to affect their ability to survive spring migration and the breeding season. While scientists have long known that the quality of winter, or non-breeding, habitat influences migratory birds’ migration timing […]
Cocaine trafficking threatens critical bird habitats, new study shows
In addition to its human consequences, cocaine trafficking harms the environment and threatens habitats important to dozens of species of migratory birds, according to a new study. Two-thirds of the areas that are most important to forest birds—including 67 species of migratory birds that breed in the U.S. and Canada and overwinter in Central America—are […]
Cheery Warblers
Throughout May, my days have been filled with winsome warbles from a bouquet of songbirds. The most difficult songs to identify are the cheery warblers. The Yellow Warbler has decided to stay close to my barn studio and his songs skip along with my fingers while I type. There are plenty of other warblers warbling […]
A Bestiary : Songbirds ~ American Redstart
The animated and flashy warbler American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) is the final warbler featured in my Bestiary. Migrating songbirds are returning to our Western Massachusetts hillside now as I finish the warbler section of A Bestiary — Tales From a Wildlife Garden. I have enjoyed recalling and writing about the numerous encounters I have had […]
A Bestiary: Songbirds ~ Northern Parula Warbler
Over two years have flown by since my monthly posts featuring warblers began over at Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens. Here is my next to the last wood warbler — sighted, as all the others, here at Flower Hill Farm Retreat. The Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) was just passing through May of 2011, when these […]
A Bestiary: Songbirds ~ Black-and-white Warbler
The Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia, is the eighth featured warbler over at my Bestiary – Tales from a Wildlife Garden.A pure black and white warbler with unique features and a genus of its own, the Black-and-white Warbler is a regular, returning resident of our farm. I hope you can take a click over to learn […]
Early Autumn Migration in Kuwait
Early August is the anticipated start of the annual Autumn migration when birds have completed their breeding season in Europe and both adult and juvenile birds start moving south to various parts of Africa for the second part of their endless summer. Kuwait is fortunate to be situated on two of the key migration flyways; […]