This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Some birds are too cool for just one name. Others have names that give us pause because they don’t seem to describe, to convey, what that bird is really all about. And then there are the names that are just too damn long, especially for the size of the bird. Try taking field notes on Common Tody-Flycatcher and Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant and you will know what I mean.
Author: Ajay Gupta It’s well-known that keeping customers is much more cost-effective and profitable than securing new clients. Harvard Business Review estimated that customer acquisition is 5 to 25 times as expensive as customer retention. What’s more, a Bain & Company study found that increasing customer retention rates by a mere 5% boosts profits by 25% to 95%.
I received this item free of charge from Chewy in exchange for my honest review. It’s not always easy to find things that are made for hedgehogs. Yes, they are still quiet uncommon little pets! But luckily a lot of.
It was with a mix and horror and skepticism that I first read about the unholy marriage of Peeps and beer recently perpetrated by Fort Worth brewers The Collective Brewing Project and their partners in this crime at Lone Star Taps & Caps. And to be clear, we’re talking about the pastel marshmallow chicks, not the smallest waders/shorebirds of the genus Calidris also known as stints.
The Northern Spotted Owl is a “ threatened ” species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and it was famously the subject of extensive and protracted litigation in the late 1980s and early 1990s, mostly relating to forestry management plans in the Pacific Northwest. Although most of the threats to the Spotted Owl relate to its dwindling old growth forest habitat, it also faces potential threats from another bird.
Who else, but a birder, would drive with windows down in subzero temperatures? Just ahead of the final cold spell this winter (-10 C / 14 F), I went birding in relatively warm -4 C / 25 F. I drove along the levee, water level was high… There weren’t that many birds, counting Mallards and Eurasian Teals … Wait, what is that white thing? A piece of plastic rubbish with a bird-neck-and-head shaped handle?
Who else, but a birder, would drive with windows down in subzero temperatures? Just ahead of the final cold spell this winter (-10 C / 14 F), I went birding in relatively warm -4 C / 25 F. I drove along the levee, water level was high… There weren’t that many birds, counting Mallards and Eurasian Teals … Wait, what is that white thing? A piece of plastic rubbish with a bird-neck-and-head shaped handle?
After an amazing trip thru Doubtful Sound, New Zealand, the next stop was to be in Bluff, just south of Invercargill. This would be my jumping off spot to get over to Stewart Island. Everybody I talked to, and everything I had read, told me that this would be my best shot of seeing a Kiwi in the wild. Up to this point, the weather had been just about perfect, but Mother Nature had some special plans for my arrival on the southern tip of New Zealand.
The Osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ) at Anderson River Park in Shasta County have been nesting atop a soccer field light stand for over 17 years. The problem is that they build the nest right on top of the field lights. This becomes an issue when, every four or five years the light bulbs need to be replaced and the nest can be destroyed in the process.
A successful birding adventure tends to include a fair bit of planning. It’s needed if “success” is synonymous with seeing a higher percentage of target birds (even if that just means any possible species), the trip being rather glitch free, and having abundant coffee available at all hours. I mean, really, for the birding trip to make the grade, first and foremost, you have to make sure that 1) either every lodge has some form of 24 hour coffee availability, or 2) you can fit
About six-and-a-half years ago I had the privilege of watching a young Waved Albatross on the Galapagos island of Española learning how to fly. The sight of the large bird, so awkward on the ground, trying to launch itself with the coaching of an indefatigable parent, was funny, charming, and amazing in its uniqueness. It’s not often that we have the opportunity to glimpse the home life of albatrosses, nor of any seabird species.
I was out on the beach yesterday (Sunday, 11 March) morning, hoping to see some interesting ducks or alcids or, really, anything interesting. I didn’t see any alcids and I didn’t see any terribly interesting ducks but I did find some Snowy Owls. The recent storms have really eroded the beach so when you are walking down by the water it’s not possible to see what is on the higher side of the beach in front of the dunes.
Our first encounter with Common Bronzewings- Phaps chalcoptera for 2018 was near Kalbarri and they were quite easily found during January in the area, but not easily photographed. Although Common Bronzewings are a large bird of around 33cm and weighing approximately 300 grams with a very wide distribution throughout most of Australia they are not always easily observed or photographed around our home town of Broome.
If you’re like me, searching for new birding locations is like a drug: exciting, energizing, and addicting. But, as I’ve written before , there are deep rewards when birding a location frequently. Good thing, because I have birded Norriego Point for nearly 50 days straight, and will continue to do so with few exceptions until the middle of May.
“ The Beast from the East ” hit the UK last week, bringing over an inch of snow in some parts, crippling communications and transport. The storm blew in from the Russian steppes and brought the country to a standstill as drifts threatened to top the kerbs and spill onto the sidewalks. Businesses and schools closed as workers, teachers and students were warned against travelling in conditions which could potentially prove to be mildly uncomfortable.
Navigated 360° tours, like YourVRTours, advance pipelines by engaging clients further along the sales funnel. These immersive experiences provide comprehensive property insights, increasing buyer intent and readiness. By embracing navigated tours, agents can optimize property exposure, better qualify leads, and streamline the sales process. Stay ahead in the ever-evolving real estate landscape with innovative technology that elevates buyer journeys and progresses pipelines more effectively.
During the final stages of the Pan-European bird-atlassing work last year, computer models of Serbian ranges for some 150 bird species were produced for the first time ever. Now, sensing the spring in the air (two weeks ago we were snowbound while it’s 20oC and sunny now), I am checking those maps for rarer species in closer areas (up to 100 miles from Belgrade).
Now that the first weekend of March has blown through, a lot of people I know are already looking forward to April. Hope your weekend wasn’t too rough! I had to get my birding in early this weekend, so a flyover flock of Tundra Swans up at Braddock Bay took care of business nicely. I’ve been chasing this species for months in an effort to close out our local swans, when all I needed to do was hang out at the hawk watch station!
I got out of the car early Sunday morning, walked to the boardwalk, and down a path to the beach. A scan to my west with the dawn light behind me revealed a Snowy Owl sitting behind some beach vegetation, way down the beach. A black corvid was dive-bombing it and though the black bird looked big I figured it was either an American Crow or a Fish Crow.
Chiming Wedgebills – Psophodes occidentalis are a species that we have never actually gone looking for, but also a species that we have never encountered. We have undoubtedly been in the right environment in Western Australia over the years, but they just have not been where we were on any given day! However, we have recently had an excellent encounter with several of these delightful birds south of Carnarvon in Western Australia.
I saw my first migratory Eastern Phoebe of 2018 this afternoon at Forest Park, thus kicking off spring for myself over a week after spring actually started. Over the last ten years my average first phoebe has been the 22nd of March, meaning that this year’s bird was a full eight days later than average and more than two weeks later than last year’s.
Back in 2013, I had the pleasure of reviewing Glen Apseloff’s Backyard Birds: Looking Through the Glass. Time, unlike a Kiwi , flies, and now Apseloff is back with another book: Backyard Birds and More: Looking Through the Glass. And I am pleased to say that he’s once again presented us with a pocket universe of engaging photos. As the title implies, Apseloff has expanded his focus (it’s going to be hard to avoid puns on this one, sorry) as well as his book – this one clo
Our trip thru the South Island of New Zealand, is coming to a close, and in finishing the trip, we complete a “figure 8” pattern. Christchurch, south west to Te Anu, south to Bluff, east along the coast to Moraki, then turn north west to Franz Joseph (Glacier) and the Pancake Rocks. After that north along the west coast, up to Tapawera (lovingly referred to as Tupperware) the north to Kaiteriteri, east to Havelock, continuing on east to Picton where we catch the ferry to the north Island.
Given the countless hordes of birds traveling over immeasurable distances during extended migratory periods, every weekend promises delights for some segment of the global birding population. Yet, odds also allow for the possibility that nothing new might fly into your particular airspace. If that describes your weekend, join the club! As my daughter and I were driving this weekend, we spotted a bird so big and black that we had to pop a U-turn to check it out.
The Piping Hornbill , Bycanistes fistulator , has been evading me for 10 years. It can be found in western and central Africa with a distribution correlating with the Guinean and Congolean biogeographical regions. For me and my birding opportunities, this means Accra in Ghana. Operational changes at my airline have moved routes around onto different fleets, leaving me on the fleet that now has only one African destination.
The spring before you may not resemble the one you’ve been pining for these last several months, but don’t tell that to the birds. Despite the lingering snow and frigid cold, my neighborhood is abuzz with more clicks, whistles, and whirrs than a toy factory. Grackles know what time of year this is. They’re not alone, so keep your eyes open.
I often like to have a pair of binoculars with me when I’m going to or from work, in case something good gets reported that I want to stop off and see. But my standard binoculars, ten-power Swarovskis, are a bit big and heavy for me to want to lug with me every day to work, especially considering that most work days I don’t end up using them.
Those of you unfazed by March Madness or still sober after the ritual Wearing of the Green might have noticed that this weekend served as the last of its season. Did you make the most of it? I had to work all weekend but managed to chase snow birds on Friday morning. I might have missed out on those buntings I’ve been hunting, but lots of Horned Larks made up for the loss.
The Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fulginosus fulginosus is present in an area along the coast of Western Australia roughly south of Carnarvon and to the north the Sooty Oystercatcher is the sub species Haemotopus fulginosus ophthalmicus. We rarely encounter family groups of Sooty Oystercatchers Haemotopus fulginosus ophthalmicus at home in Broome, but more commonly we encounter a flock of approximately thirty non-breeding Sooty Oystercatchers at the northern end of Cable Beach.
The last weekend of winter (or summer, depending on your polar orientation) rarely resembles either the season ending or the one about to commence. Rather, you might expect some chimeric display of all the weather patterns of three months past and future. Whatever this weekend holds for you, remember that birds in some parts of the world are already on the move!
Mid-March may not pack the punch we get from more migratory months in the temperate zones, but this time of year has its birding charms. More surprisingly, not all of them are subtle. For example, I was able to wrangle my first Short-eared Owls of the year, where else but at Nations Rd IBA. Even though a snow squall whipped up as soon as I arrived, a pair of highly conspicuous owls made the trip worthwhile.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 30+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content