I'm keeping a close eye on you...

Photo: Phil Winter / SWNS.com

A small owl glares intently at a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major) at Ringmer, Lewes, in East Sussex, England.

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BarrytheBirder

Beautiful image...

Photo: Vasily Fedosenko / Reuters

A Mute Swan (Cygnus Olor) is spectacularly silhouetted in a lake during sunset near the village of Sosenka, northern Belarus, about 60 kms. north of Minsk. 
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BarrytheBirder

Sculpture marks Trumpeter Swan return to Huronia Region

 Photos by BarrytheBirder

Huge Trumpeter swan soars over Midland

The re-establishment of a Trumpeter Swan breeding population in south-central Ontario and in particular, in the Midland area of the Huronia tourist area of Simcoe County has been a resounding success over the last two decades.  Commemorating and celebrating the re-introduction success is the beautiful sculpture, pictured here, of a massive Trumpeter Swan soaring above the harbour at Midland.   The sculpture weighs 2,700 lbs., is 20 ft. high and has a wingspan of 25 ft.
   

Some perspective of the size of the monument is seen in the photo above as two seagulls are dwarfed as they sit, fore and aft, on the big bird's back.

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BarrytheBirder

On the shores of the Black Sea...

Photo: Stelien Porojnicu / Alamy

White Pelicans and seagulls create a perfect storm, in flight above the Danube Delta, in Romania.

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BarrytheBirder

More 2018 Audubon Photography Awards...

                                                                                               Photo: Gary R. Zahm

2018 Audubon Photography Awards

Professional Winner ~ Gary R. Zahm

Black-necked Stilt

(Aegithalos caudatus)

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BarrytheBirder

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

Photo: Sergei Malgavko / Tass

A Black-winged Stilt is spotted by the coast of the Sea of Azov, Kurotnoye, Leninsky, in Crimea.
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BarrytheBirder

Critically endangered...

Photo: Gerald Herbert / AP

WHOOPING CRANE & CHICK

(Grus americana)

An adult Whooping Crane, a critically endangered species, walks on a levee between crawfish ponds with a recently born chick in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana.

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BarrytheBirder

Counting the Queen's swans on the Thames

Photo: Steve Parsons / PA

'SWAN UPPING'

The Guardian newspaper in England has reported on the annual stock-counting of the crown's swans (known as swan upping) on the River Thames.   The counting of the swans on the river and identifying them as the queen's has been going on since the 12th century.   Back then the birds were so prized for their meat that all swans were appropriated as the crown's property.   Today there are a few others with rights to some of the swans.   In the photo above, the Queen's swan marker, David Barber, holds a signet.   The photo below shows officials on the River Thames ready for swan upping. 

Photo: Toby Melville / Reuters

Photo: Toby Melville / Reuters 

Officials release swans back in to the water.

Photo above:  Toby Melville / Reuters

Photos above and below show cygnets being examined, measured and weighed.

Photo above: Dan Kitwood / Getty Images

Photo above: Nils Jorgenson / Shutterstock

Some of the birds are keen to get back in the water.

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BarrytheBirder

A most unique looking bird...

Photo: Anadolu Agency / Getty Images

GREATER FLAMINGO

(Phoenicopterus roseus)

Photo: Joel Sartore / National Geographic

Greater Flamingos are seen above on Lake Tuz, in Aksaray, Turkey.  This bird's name comes from the Portuguese or Spanish 'flamengo' and means flame-coloured.

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BarrytheBirder

Nectar is nectar wherever its found...

Photo by Barry Wallace

Pictured above is a Mourning Cloak butterfly getting nectar from one of our hummingbird feeders.   This also happens occasionally with other types of butterflies.   It's the middle of July now and this Mourning Cloak is showing some wear and tear on the hind edge of its wings.   They live for almost a year in suitable climates in North America and Eurasia.  They also go by many local names.
Please comment if you wish.
BarrytheBirder

Ban on Antarctic krill fishing...

Photo: Christian Aslund / Greenpeace

Chinstrap Penguins (see photo above) in Antarctica, are one of many species that would benefit from a proposed ban on krill fishing in the region, that has now gained support from major fishing firms.

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BarrytheBirder

(Motacilla alba)

Photo: Sebastien Gollnow / AFP / Getty Images

A White Wagtail flies from sheep's back to sheep's back in Herrenberg, southern Germany.   Wagtails are basically an Old World bird found in Africa, Asia and Europe.   The name comes from the bird's characteristic tail-pumping behaviour.

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BarrytheBirder

2018 Audubon Photography Awards...

Photo: Livon Gertsman / Livonsnaturephotography.com

Youth Winner ~ Liron Gertsman

Cobalt-winged Parakeets

(Brotogeris cyanoptera)

Winning picture above was photographed in Yasuni National Park, Ecuador.

Illustration at left: Eduardo Brettas

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BarrytheBirder

2018 Audubon Photography Awards...

Photo: Steve Mattheis

Grand Prize Winner - Steve Mattheis

GREAT GREY OWL
(Strix nebulosa)

Teton County, Wyoming

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Photo: Richard Keller / Alamy

Derek Nieman writing in last Thursday's The Guardian (online) states: "House Sparrows may mate up to 40 times a day, but it's always a quickie".   No doubt. 

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BarrytheBirder

European Turtle Doves (Streptopelia turtur) in big trouble in England

Photo: Joe Blossom / Alamy

Britain's Turtle Doves down 93% in 24 years

The number of European Turtle Doves in Britain has dropped by 93% since 1994.   One of the largest populations of nesting doves in England is found on a Sussex estate of 3,500 acres; yet it is home to just 16 pairs of doves!   It has been transformed from intensively farmed agricultural land to one of the richest natural environments in the country.   Because so few Turtle Doves now exist and England is in such environmental  jeopardy for so many bird species, one ecologist, Penny Green, has described Turtle Doves as being "...caught in the crosshairs of time".
Please comment if you wish.
BarrytheBirder

Mourning Dove squabs...

Photo: Jpabello/Shizhao/Wikipedia

MMOURNING DOVEM

Zenaida macroura

Until today, I had never seen a live Mourning Dove squab or even a photograph of one.   But while reading about the plight of Turtle Doves in England and deciding to mention them in a blog, I thought about comparing the British Turtle Doves' drastically declining population with our Mourning Doves in Canada.   I will write about the Turtle Doves in a subsequent blog soon.   Today however, I discovered a photo on Wikipedia of two Mourning Dove squabs.   I was stunned and surprised at the same time to see these remarkable little hairy creatures.   They will grow up to join the other estimated 475 million Mourning Doves in North and Central America.  Because Mourning Doves are so prolific, they easily maintain their populations despite 20 to 70 million of them being shot by hunters every year.   They are rated at "least concern" by the IUCN 'Red List'.   Now, on to the UK's Turtle Doves.
Please comment if you wish.
BarrytheBirder 

Youngsters...

Baby Egrets ~ Baby Elephant

Seem to get along well together

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BarrytheBirder

Richmond Hill Mill Pond - always interesting

 Photos by Barry Wallace

The Mill Pond on the north-west corner of Mill Street and Trench Street, north of Major MacKenzie Health Centre in Richmond Hill is transformed by the very attractive water fountain, now in operation.   It is an attraction for the almost 200 Canada Geese and three resident Mute Swans, as well as quite the experience for walkers and drivers trying to get past the constant ebb and flow of geese from one side of Mill Street to the other.   Cars are lined up, their drivers or passengers are out of their cars trying to round-up and direct geese off the road.  Many pedestrians are wary about parent geese protecting their young, which at this time of year are almost fully grown.   Mornings seem to be the most interactive time of the day.

Pictured above are 50 of the approximately 150 Canada Geese that were wandering east and west on Mill Street and back and forth from one side of the street to the other, last Sunday.   In the picture below, I not sure who the 'WAIT FOR GAP' sign is meant for: pedestrians, drivers, or geese, and what it means precisely.   All in all, rather amusing for the most part.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

Smallest bird in New Zealand...

Photo: digitatrails/wikipedia

The RIFLEMAN

(Acanthisitta chloris)

What a strange name for such a cute little bird.   The Rifleman, also known as Titipounamu, is the very smallest of all New Zealand's endemic birds.   There is nothing exotic or mysterious about its Rifleman name.   According to 'New Zealand Birds', the bird's English  name, rifleman, stems from a resemblance of the bird's plumage to the uniform of an early colonial regiment.   However a spokesperson for NZBirds, Stella Anderson says, 'because it follows a spiralling route when going over the bark for food, this little wren obtained its English name - 'to rifle' means spiral grooves as, for example, in a gun barrel."   Somewhat contrived, methinks.                                                  

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

25 species of reed warblers...

                                                                                                                        Photo: YONHAP /EPA

A reed warbler sits in the shade of a white lotus flower in Incheon, a coastal city just west of Seoul, South Korea.  There are 25 species of reed warblers which are found in East Asia and from Africa to the south Pacific Ocean, including the ultra-remote Pitcairn Island where the Pitcairn Reed-Warbler is the only land bird and is endangered.
Please comment if you wish.
BarrytheBirder

Port of Rotterdam...

Photo: Alexander Schippers / EPA

Workers clean a swan at a bird shelter in the Netherlands after a tanker crashed into a jetty in the port city of Rotterdam, spilling 200 tonnes of oil into the harbour and affecting hundreds of the birds.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

IUCN Red List finds 26,000 species under extinction threat...

Photo: Greg Hume / Cincinatti Zoo

 More than 26,000 of the world's fauna species are now threatened, according to the latest red list of the assessment of the natural world, adding to fears the planet is entering the sixth wave of extinctions.   The Blue-crowned Laughing Thrush (Garrulax courtoisi) pictured above is one such species.   Jonathon Watts, writing in Britain's Guardian newspaper says scientists have warned loss of biodiversity is more of a threat than climate change because it erodes the earth's capacity to provide clean air, fresh water, food and a stable weather system.   The red list now includes 93,577 species, of which 26,197 are classified as vulnerable, critical or endangered.   Since 2017, six species have been declared extinct, taking the total to 872.   Another 1,700 species are listed as critically endangered, some possibly extinct.  Recent research showed the world's 7.6 billion people represent just 0.01% of all living things, yet have caused the loss of 83% of all the wild mammals and half of the plants.   Meanwhile livestock and pets abound.   The problem is in our laps, but the solution seems beyond every horizon.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

Plastic pollution putting New Zealand seabirds in peril...

Photo:  Getty Images / Visuals Unlimited

New Zealand - world's seabird capital

New Zealand is considered "the seabird capital of the world", says the country's Department of Conservation and has more penguin species than any country in the world.   There are 36 species of seabirds that breed only in New Zealand, with Mexico a distant second at just five species.   New Zealand's seabirds, like the albatross pictured above, are said to be more at risk of dying due to plastic ingestion than anywhere else in the world.   Experts say that plastic makes up 78% of all rubbish on New Zealand beaches.   Seabirds are also surface feeders and scoop up plastic before realizing it not food.   Eventually plastic fills their stomachs and they face starvation.   The banning of single-use plastic bags in stores in Australia has recently led to violent confrontations with protesting customers.
Please comment if you wish.
BarrytheBirder  

Most of Europe's lakes and rivers fail quality tests...

Photo: Nigel Bowles/Alamy

A swan (above) swims in the rubbish and pollution thrown into the River Thames in London.

Damning new report on European waterways

The vast majority of Europe's rivers, lakes and estuaries have failed to meet minimum ecological standards for habitat degradation and pollution, with England one of the worst offenders.   Only 40% of surface water bodies, of 130,000 waterways surveyed, were found by the EEA (European Environmental Agency) to be in good ecological states.  Andreas Baumueller, WWF Europe's head of natural resources, states: "This report shows that we are nowhere near halting biodiversity loss by 2020".   The EEA survey revealed a divide between chemical pollution in ground and surface water sites.   Three-quarters of groundwater sites were of good quality, but 62% of rivers, estuaries and lakes were not.   Mercury contamination was one of the most common problems, followed by pesticide overuse, inadequate waste treatment plants and tainted rainfall.

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

35 DEGREES CELSIUS

 Photo by Barry Wallace

Birds share birdbath with hot toad

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BarrytheBirder

Phoenicopterus ruber

Photo: Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP /Getty Images

Pink Flamingos are seen at Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve in Yucatan, Mexico.   At least 21,960 nests were recorded in this nesting season, a historic figure, according to Mexican authorities.   Pink Flamingos are also known as Caribbean flamingo and greater flamingo.  It is the only flamingo that naturally inhabits North America. 

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

Loves fish...

                                                                                       Photo: Jane Barlow / PA

An Osprey (a.k.a. sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk) catches a rainbow trout in a loch near Aviemore, in the Cairngorms mountain range, in the eastern Highlands of Scotland. 

Cute?

Photo: Martin Cushen / Alamy

Eurasian or Common Coot chicks (Fulica atra) are seen at Pitsford Nature Reserve in Northamptonshire, England.  Once again, and as mentioned on June 19th in this space, these young birds have a head that only a mother could love.
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BarrytheBirder

Worldwide investigation by Interpol hugely successful...

Photo: AP

Young hatchlings of an unidentified avian species are seen as they were being smuggled out of Mexico recently. Interpol said a giant operation against illegal trade in wildlife and timber resulted in millions of dollars worth of seizures and the identification of 1,400 suspects around the world.   The month-long operation in May involved 93 countries.   Interpol is a police network of 190 countries around the world.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

Flamingos

Photo: Tony Karumba / AFP / Getty Images

Flamingos are seen at Lake Amboseli during a trial run for the national park's aerial animal census in Kenya, Africa.

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BarrytheBirder