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Red backed Shrike - Lanius collurio
The red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) is a carnivorous passerine bird and member of the shrike family Laniidae. The breeding range stretches from Western Europe east to central Russia but it only rarely occurs in the British Isles. It is migratory and winters in the western areas of tropical Africa.
Once a common migratory visitor to Great Britain, numbers declined sharply during the 20th century. The bird's last stronghold was in Breckland but by 1988 just a single pair remained, successfully raising young at Santon Downham. The following year for the first time no nests were recorded in the UK. But since then sporadic breeding has taken place, mostly in Scotland and Wales. In September 2010 the RSPB announced that a pair had raised chicks at a secret location on Dartmoor where the bird last bred in 1970. In 2011, two pairs nested in the same locality, fledging seven young. In 2012 there was another breeding attempt, this time unsuccessful, probably due to a prolonged spell of wet weather. In 2013 breeding was again confirmed in Devon, with two young fledged at a new site.
This return to south western England has been an unexpected development and has raised speculation that a warming climate could assist the bird in re-colonising some of its former haunts, if only in small numbers.
Population:
UK breeding:
1-3 pairs
UK passage:
250 birds
Red Legged Partridge - Alectoris Rufa aka French Partridge
The red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) is a gamebird in the pheasant family.
It is sometimes known as French partridge, to distinguish it from the English or grey partridge.
This partridge breeds naturally in southwestern Europe (France, Iberia and northwest Italy). It has become naturalised in flat areas of England and Wales, where it was introduced as a game species, and has been seen breeding as far north as Cumbria and eastern Yorkshire and the western Isle of Man. It is replaced in southeastern Europe by the very similar rock partridge (Alectoris graeca). It is a non-migratory terrestrial species, which forms flocks outside the breeding season.
This species breeds on dry lowlands, such as farmland and open stony areas, laying its eggs in a ground nest.
The natural range of the red-legged partridge is France, Spain and Portugal. However, it was introduced from France to Great Britain in the 18th century, and has since become an important gamebird there. As it is a mediterranean species, it thrives in hot, dry areas with sandy soil. The ability to breed two clutches simultaneously has led to it being extensively reared in captivity, and released for shooting. The breeding of chukars (Alectoris chukar) and red-legged/chukar hybrids is prohibited, due to its impact on wild populations of red-legs. The red-legged partridge is believed to be in decline across its range.
Revisited image, reprocessed. Captured with a 50mm lens so I was pretty close to her. The very focused Puma is Viktoria - Photographed in 2018 at Big Cat Sanctuary
while I was taking images of a Snipe this one begged for some attention ..
also called Eurasian Moorhen or just Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
waterhoen
Gallinule poule-d'eau ou Poule-d'eau
Teichhuhn
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In 1787, the French botanist Nicolas-Joseph Thiéry de Menonville, sent to Mexico to steal the cochineal insect valued for its scarlet dye, reported the strangely beautiful flowers he had seen growing in a garden in Oaxaca. In 1789, Vicente Cervantes, Director of the Botanical Garden at Mexico City, sent "plant parts" to Abbe Antonio José Cavanilles, Director of the Royal Gardens of Madrid. Cavanilles flowered one plant that same year, then the second one a year later. In 1791 he called the new growths "Dahlia" for Anders (Andreas) Dahl. The first plant was called Dahlia pinnata after its pinnate foliage; the second, Dahlia rosea for its rose-purple color. In 1796 Cavanilles flowered a third plant from the parts sent by Cervantes, which he named Dahlia coccinea for its scarlet color.
Skylark - Alauda Arvensis
Skylarks are characteristic of semi-natural grassland systems from sand dunes through heathland to marginal upland, but are most common in arable farmland, making use of the nesting cover and bare ground for feeding that crops themselves provide throughout the year. Males are highly territorial, using long song flights at high altitude to broadcast to rivals and potential mates because the open landscapes they prefer are devoid of high perches. The stamina required to sustain long song flights has led to song flight length being used as an “honest signal” of male quality by females, allowing male Skylarks to advertise themselves without bright plumage, so they have kept the cryptic, brown and streaked coloration that affords them protection from predators on the ground.
Although migratory in much of northern Europe, British breeding Skylarks are believed not to move far between seasons, although upland birds move to lower latitudes. They can then often begin to breed in March and continue into July, making up to three breeding attempts. In winter, they mostly use crop stubble and fallow fields, in which they forage for weed seed and spilled grain, often in large flocks. Throughout the year, the Skylark’s heritage as a steppe species is apparent in its avoidance of vertical structures, which restricts the suitability of farmland with a high density of hedgerows.
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Iguazu , Misiones, Argentina
also called Gilded Sapphire
Hylocharis chrysura
gouden saffierkolibrie
Saphir à queue d'or
Goldsaphirkolibri
Zafiro Bronceado / Picaflor bronceado
Zaffiro dorato
Beija-flor-dourado
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My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.
Little Owl chick a week ago
Athene noctua
steenuil
Chevêche d'Athéna ou Chouette chevêche
Steinkauz
Mochuelo Europeo
Civetta
Mocho-galego
Nikon Z9
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My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.
Shot taken from a window of my home.
It threw itself from the jetty to follow another example of its species.
Cropped image.
This young kingfisher is the most vivid that I have ever seen. This is a raw image, adjusted for highlights and shadows, converted to jpeg and framed. No sharpening, saturation or vibrance has been added.
Sand Forest is an increasingly rare habitat found in Kwazulu Natal (South Africa) and southern Mozambique. Many interesting mammals and birds inhabit these beautiful forests.`
This male Narina Trogon was - as usual - sitting with its back to us and then it moved to this spot for just a brief moment.
apaloderma narina
narinatrogon
trogon narina
Narinatrogon
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Spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia
Spoonbills are tall white waterbirds with long spatulate black bills and long black legs. In flight they fly with necks and legs extended, in the water they feed with elegant sideward sweeps of their bill. In the breeding season adults show some yellow on their breast and bill tip. The species is of European conservation concern and a very rare breeding bird in the UK. They are listed are listed on Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act. Most birds migrate south in the winter, but numerous individuals remain and winter in Western Europe.
Although they bred in East Anglia during Medieval times, spoonbills had not bred in Britain for over 300 years until 2010, when a small colony was discovered on the north Norfolk coast.
Taken locally on our walks!
Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita
The common chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita), or simply the chiffchaff, is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds in open woodlands throughout northern and temperate Europe and Asia.
It is a migratory passerine which winters in southern and western Europe, southern Asia and north Africa. Greenish-brown above and off-white below, it is named onomatopoeically for its simple chiff-chaff song. It has a number of subspecies, some of which are now treated as full species.
This warbler gets its name from its simple distinctive song, a repetitive cheerful chiff-chaff. This song is one of the first avian signs that spring has returned. Its call is a hweet, less disyllabic than the hooeet of the willow warbler or hu-it of the western Bonelli's warbler.
The common chiffchaff breeds across Europe and Asia east to eastern Siberia and north to about 70°N, with isolated populations in northwest Africa, northern and western Turkey and northwestern Iran. It is migratory, but it is one of the first passerine birds to return to its breeding areas in the spring and among the last to leave in late autumn. When breeding, it is a bird of open woodlands with some taller trees and ground cover for nesting purposes. These trees are typically at least 5 metres (16 ft) high, with undergrowth that is an open, poor to medium mix of grasses, bracken, nettles or similar plants. Its breeding habitat is quite specific, and even near relatives do not share it; for example, the willow warbler (P. trochilus) prefers younger trees, while the wood warbler (P. sibilatrix) prefers less undergrowth. In winter, the common chiffchaff uses a wider range of habitats including scrub, and is not so dependent on trees. It is often found near water, unlike the willow warbler which tolerates drier habitats. There is an increasing tendency to winter in western Europe well north of the traditional areas, especially in coastal southern England and the mild urban microclimate of London. These overwintering common chiffchaffs include some visitors of the eastern subspecies abietinus and tristis, so they are certainly not all birds which have bred locally, although some undoubtedly are.
Population:
UK breeding:
1,200,000 territories
UK wintering:
500-1,000 birds
A big storm approaches. Soon it was darker and rainy. Much as I wanted to stay knee deep in the water photographing, it was safer to leave.
🎧”Before The Storm” (Orsen): www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2sFXvbH1cQ
Canon. EOS 7D Mark II, Tamron 16-300mm Lens
Treecreeper - Certhia familiaris
The Eurasian treecreeper or common treecreeper (Certhia familiaris) is a small passerine bird also known in the British Isles, where it is the only living member of its genus, simply as treecreeper. It is similar to other treecreepers, and has a curved bill, patterned brown upperparts, whitish underparts, and long stiff tail feathers which help it creep up tree trunks. It can be most easily distinguished from the similar short-toed treecreeper, which shares much of its European range, by its different song.
The Eurasian treecreeper has nine or more subspecies which breed in different parts of its range in temperate Eurasia. This species is found in woodlands of all kinds, but where it overlaps with the short-toed treecreeper in western Europe it is more likely to be found in coniferous forests or at higher altitudes. It nests in tree crevices or behind bark flakes, and favours introduced giant sequoia as nest sites where they are available. The female typically lays five or six pink-speckled white eggs in the lined nest, but eggs and chicks are vulnerable to attack by woodpeckers and mammals, including squirrels.
The Eurasian treecreeper is insectivorous and climbs up tree trunks like a mouse, to search for insects which it picks from crevices in the bark with its fine curved bill. It then flies to the base of another tree with a distinctive erratic flight. This bird is solitary in winter, but may form communal roosts in cold weather.
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Eastern Chipmunk.
Between 8 1/2 to 11 3/4 inches in length. Reddish brown above with a white belly. 1 white stripe bordered by 2 black stripes on sides ending at the rump. 2 white stripes on back nuch thinner than side stripes. Dark center stripe down the back. Pale facial stripes above and below the eyes. Tail brown on tip and edged with black. Prominent ears.
The Eastern Chipmunk's habitat includes open deciduous woodlands, forest edges, brushy areas, bushes and stone walls in cemeteries and around houses.
They range from southeastern Canada and the north-eastern U.S. east from North Dakota and eastern Oklahoma and south to Missisippi, northwest Carolina and Virginia.
Kensington Metropark, Livingston County, Michigan.
In the nineteenth century, Chimica Arenella was built inside the seaside village of Arenella, a large Art Nouveau-style factory where tobacco products were packaged, among other things.
The history of "Chimica Arenella" began in the 10s of the twentieth century, when it was established as a branch of the great German factory Gondelberg.
In 1930 it became the largest European citric acid factory, reaching prominent positions in the world chemical industry, and its plant became a reference point for other factories in the sector.
Today taking a tour inside the area of the former factory is a surreal adventure, it seems to be in a strange country far from modern civilization, instead we are inside the city, even if in a hamlet.
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Nell'Ottocento all'interno della borgata marinara dell'Arenella viene costruita la Chimica Arenella, grossa fabbrica in stile liberty dove tra le altre cose venivano confezionati prodotti di tabacco.
La storia della "Chimica Arenella" iniziò negli anni dieci del novecento, quando fu costituita come succursale della grande fabbrica tedesca Gondelberg.
Nel 1930 divenne la più grande fabbrica europea di acido citrico, raggiungendo posizioni di rilievo nell'industria chimica mondiale, e il suo stabilimento divenne punto di riferimento per le altre fabbriche del settore.
Oggi fare un giro dentro l’area dell’ex stabilimento e’ un avventura surreale, sembra di trovarsi in uno strano paese lontano dalla civilta’ moderna, invece siamo dentro la citta’, anche se in una borgata.
American Goldfinch
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