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Sparrowhawk - (M) Accipiter Nisus
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Though it is a predator which specialises in catching woodland birds, the Eurasian sparrowhawk can be found in any habitat and often hunts garden birds in towns and cities. Males tend to take smaller birds, including tits, finches, and sparrows; females catch primarily thrushes and starlings, but are capable of killing birds weighing 500 g (18 oz) or more.
The Eurasian sparrowhawk is found throughout the temperate and subtropical parts of the Old World; while birds from the northern parts of the range migrate south for winter, their southern counterparts remain resident or make dispersive movements. Eurasian sparrowhawks breed in suitable woodland of any type, with the nest, measuring up to 60 cm (2.0 ft) across, built using twigs in a tree. Four or five pale blue, brown-spotted eggs are laid; the success of the breeding attempt is dependent on the female maintaining a high weight while the male brings her food. The chicks hatch after 33 days and fledge after 24 to 28 days.
The probability of a juvenile surviving its first year is 34%, with 69% of adults surviving from one year to the next. Mortality in young males is greater than that of young females and the typical lifespan is four years. This species is now one of the most common birds of prey in Europe, although the population crashed after the Second World War. Organochlorine insecticides used to treat seeds before sowing built up in the bird population, and the concentrations in Eurasian sparrowhawks were enough to kill some outright and incapacitate others; affected birds laid eggs with fragile shells which broke during incubation. However, its population recovered after the chemicals were banned, and it is now relatively common, classified as being of Least Concern by BirdLife International.
The Eurasian sparrowhawk's hunting behaviour has brought it into conflict with humans for hundreds of years, particularly racing pigeon owners and people rearing poultry and gamebirds. It has also been blamed for decreases in passerine populations. The increase in population of the Eurasian Sparrowhawk coincides with the decline in House Sparrows in Britain. Studies of racing pigeon deaths found that Eurasian sparrowhawks were responsible for less than 1%. Falconers have utilised the Eurasian sparrowhawk since at least the 16th century; although the species has a reputation for being difficult to train, it is also praised for its courage. The species features in Teutonic mythology and is mentioned in works by writers including William Shakespeare, Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Ted Hughes.
Male Eurasian sparrowhawks regularly kill birds weighing up to 40 g (1.4 oz) and sometimes up to 120 g (4.2 oz); females can tackle prey up to 500 g (18 oz) or more. The weight of food consumed by adult birds daily is estimated to be 40–50 g (1.4–1.8 oz) for males and 50–70 g (1.8–2.5 oz) for females. During one year, a pair of Eurasian sparrowhawks could take 2,200 house sparrows, 600 common blackbirds or 110 wood pigeons. Species that feed in the open, far from cover, or are conspicuous by their behaviour or coloration, are taken more often by Eurasian sparrowhawks. For example, great tits and house sparrows are vulnerable to attack. Eurasian sparrowhawks may account for more than 50% of deaths in certain species, but the extent varies from area to area.
Males tend to take tits, finches, sparrows and buntings; females often take thrushes and starlings. Larger quarry (such as doves and magpies) may not die immediately but succumb during feather plucking and eating. More than 120 bird species have been recorded as prey and individual Eurasian sparrowhawks may specialise in certain prey. The birds taken are usually adults or fledglings, though chicks in the nest and carrion are sometimes eaten. Small mammals, including bats, are sometimes caught but insects are eaten only very rarely.
Plant and they will come!
This is just a record shot (I'd have liked to have gotten more of the wing in focus), as she wasn't for staying still, of the first common blue butterfly to visit my garden last year, after I planted bird's foot trefoil for my 'resident' leafcutter bees, and to attract common blue butterflies.
I was thrilled to watch her lay lots of eggs, which you can see her doing in this photo, all over the bird's foot trefoil ... and what amazing little structures the eggs are too---that's tomorrow's upload!
For licensing of my images see: Getty images or Alamy the links are below.
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I was watching one of the log piles yesterday with my friend John, where I walk my Dog, when this tiny beauty was seen weaving in and out of the logs. The first one we have seen and been able to get photographs of. So you can imagine how excited we were. A great day and the perfect start to the weekend.
Size:
Pygmy Shrew 40-60 mm; tail 32-46 mm the Common Shrew size that I posted before being Size: 48-80mm, tail 24-44mm; tail less than 3/4 length of head and body.
Weight:
2.4-6.1g. Weight may decrease up to 28% in winter.
Diet:
They feed mainly on insects, arachnids and woodlice, requiring regular meals and eating up to 125% of their body weight in food daily. Unlike common shrews, they rarely eat earthworms.
Lifespan:
Peak mortality is at 2-4 months and the maximum lifespan is around 13 months.
Origin & Distribution:
Widespread throughout the mainland of Britain and Ireland, in most terrestrial habitats which offer sufficient ground cover. They are also found on the Isle of Man and Outer Hebrides, where common shrews are absent. Pygmy shrews are active day and night, largely above ground. They make and use "surface tunnels" in vegetation and will frequent burrows dug by other animals. They seem to be relatively more common on moorland than are common shrews.
Habitat:
Urban & gardens
Deciduous woodland
Grassland
Mixed woodland
Arable land
Behaviour:
As in all shrews, senses of smell, hearing and touch are well-developed. Pygmy shrews are solitary and aggressive towards conspecifics. Home ranges vary from around 500-2000 square metres, depending on habitat, with maximum densities of around 12 per hectare. Strict territoriality is only abandoned during the breeding season.
Breeding:
Pygmy shrews overwinter as immatures and breed between April and October, producing two or three litters of 5-7 young. Their main predators are owls and other avian predators, particularly those which hunt on moorland.
Certainly interesting and exciting to view the interaction of these owls as one would do close flyovers upsetting the other. It didn't last long and other than a few pulled feathers no damage was done.
Thank you for viewing.
"If you ever get close to a human
And human behaviour
Be ready, be ready to get confused
There's definitely, definitely, definitely no logic
To human behaviour
But yet so, yet so irresistible"
Looking out of the cave at Pinnacle Point, South Africa "According to research which Prof. Marean and his team published in 2007, this is probably where the small, core population that gave rise to all humans alive today first began to exhibit significantly modern behaviour: the systematic harvesting of food from the sea, the use of complex bladelet technology, and the use of ochres for symboling."
This beautifully bright songbird looks a lot like the Baltimore and Bullock's orioles that are familiar to North American birders. However, this Central American native, the streak-backed oriole, seldom makes forays into the southern US.
A couple of individuals occasionally visited the grounds of the lodge I stayed at. The one pictured here was gleaning insects from the branches and leaves of the trees, including the one it is perched on and in a nearby palm.
Streak-backed orioles are considered a medium sized bird, being about 19 - 23 cm (7 1/2 - 9") in length. In local Costa Rican Spanish, these birds are called chorcha. Chorcha is colloquial for a lively, informal get-together, chat, or party among friends. That sounds like an oriole!
🇫🇷 Le phacochère est un mammifère des savanes africaines, connu pour son apparence unique et ses comportements intrigants. Cet animal se distingue par ses défenses proéminentes, sa peau rugueuse et ses grandes oreilles. Il fait partie de la famille des suidés et est souvent confondu avec les sangliers, bien qu’il possède ses propres caractéristiques distinctes.Le phacochère vit en groupe familial appelé harde, qui peut comprendre de 4 à 16 individus, principalement des femelles et leurs jeunes.Les mâles adultes vivent de manière solitaire à l’âge de deux ans . Il est actif durant la journée. Pour s’alimenter, le phacochère passe des heures à fouiller le sol à la recherche de racines, tubercules et autres gourmandises.
🇬🇧 The warthog is a mammal found in the African savannahs, known for its unique appearance and intriguing behaviour. This animal is distinguished by its prominent tusks, rough skin and large ears. It belongs to the Suidae family and is often confused with wild boars, although it has its own distinct characteristics. The warthog lives in family groups known as herds, which can comprise between 4 and 16 individuals, mainly females and their young. Adult males become solitary at the age of two. It is active during the day. To forage, the warthog spends hours rooting around in the ground in search of roots, tubers and other delicacies.
🇩🇪 Das Warzenschwein ist ein Säugetier der afrikanischen Savannen, das für sein einzigartiges Aussehen und sein faszinierendes Verhalten bekannt ist. Dieses Tier zeichnet sich durch seine markanten Stoßzähne, seine raue Haut und seine großen Ohren aus. Es gehört zur Familie der Schweine und wird oft mit Wildschweinen verwechselt, obwohl es ganz eigene, unverwechselbare Merkmale aufweist. Das Warzenschwein lebt in Familiengruppen, sogenannten Herden, die aus 4 bis 16 Tieren bestehen können, hauptsächlich aus Weibchen und ihren Jungen. Ausgewachsene Männchen leben ab einem Alter von zwei Jahren als Einzelgänger. Es ist tagsüber aktiv. Auf der Suche nach Nahrung verbringt das Warzenschwein Stunden damit, den Boden nach Wurzeln, Knollen und anderen Leckereien zu durchwühlen.
🇪🇸 El facóquero es un mamífero de las sabanas africanas, conocido por su aspecto único y sus comportamientos intrigantes. Este animal destaca por sus prominentes colmillos, su piel rugosa y sus grandes orejas. Pertenece a la familia de los suidos y a menudo se le confunde con los jabalíes, aunque posee sus propias características distintivas. El facóquero vive en grupos familiares llamados manadas, que pueden estar formados por entre 4 y 16 individuos, principalmente hembras y sus crías. Los machos adultos viven en solitario a partir de los dos años. Es activo durante el día. Para alimentarse, el facóquero pasa horas hurgando en el suelo en busca de raíces, tubérculos y otros manjares.
🇮🇹 Il facocero è un mammifero delle savane africane, noto per il suo aspetto unico e i suoi comportamenti intriganti. Questo animale si distingue per le sue zanne prominenti, la pelle ruvida e le grandi orecchie. Appartiene alla famiglia dei suidi e viene spesso confuso con i cinghiali, sebbene possieda caratteristiche distintive proprie. Il facocero vive in gruppi familiari chiamati branchi, che possono comprendere da 4 a 16 individui, principalmente femmine e i loro piccoli. I maschi adulti vivono in solitudine a partire dai due anni di età. È attivo durante il giorno. Per nutrirsi, il facocero trascorre ore a scavare nel terreno alla ricerca di radici, tuberi e altre prelibatezze.
I was photographing a small flock of feeding dowitchers on the shore of a small, shallow lake when they started to move towards me as they probed the mud for worms and other invertebrates. They kept getting closer and closer. This one paused for a stretch right in front of me and filled the frame as it tilted forward and stretched out its leg and wing. A small movement from me sent the flying a little ways down the shore. It was pretty neat watching their behaviour that close up.
OBSERVE Collective
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germanstreetphotography.com/michael-monty-may/
Madagascar
Tenrecs are endemic to Madagascar. Average length 5.5 inches
A fully terrestrial species of the forest floor, the lowland streaked tenrec is a specialist feeder on soft-bodied leaf litter invertebrates, including earthworms. The species is active both by day and night, and nest in fixed burrows which are commonly located near water. Latrine sites are situated near the nest entrance, which may be covered by leaves. Social groups may excavate complex interconnected burrow systems.
Social behaviour is complex, with groups consisting of over 20 related individuals, mostly the year's young accompanying four or fewer adults. Animals may forage alone or in small subgroups. When the quills are rubbed together they emit a high-pitched sound which is hypothesized to be a source of communication to other individuals.
Lowland streaked tenrecs do not go into true hibernation, but lower their body temperature and become inactive in response to adverse conditions; typically this coincides with the dry season, when temperature and food availability are at their lowest.
This owl has its eyes partially open and is leaning out of its tree cavity because a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches and a lone Black-capped Chickadee decided to try to mob it - behaviour that alerted me to the owl’s presence. I had walked by it twice in different directions, which says something about how much more alert you are if you might be the next meal.
Whenever I return to Ottawa from intensive work events - I often visit locations with high pressure disputes and stay until they are resolved or on the path to resolution - the first thing I do is grab a camera and head out to the woods or the River. Getting out takes me far away from that kind of intensity, and in the healthiest way I know.
And then getting to find an owl makes it even better. Late afternoon light and the leaning out made me think this might be a decent image. I would have liked to get one or more of the mobbing birds in the frame but they were pretty wary, sticking to flying at the owl and then veering back to nearby branches. I quickly secured a dozen images and moved on, with a spring in my step.
Some of the most beautiful plumage on any Screech-owl is on its wing feathers, and the lean out here shows just a glimpse of them.
I was watching a group of Harbour (Common) and Grey Seals hauled out on the beach at Horsey, Norfolk during the first week of June when a big male Grey Seal caught my attention at the water's edge. It seemed to be holding down another smaller seal and when other seals approached it behaved aggressively towards them. The struggle continued for some time but the malevolent looking big bull clearly had the upper hand. Nov. - Dec. is the breeding seasons for Grey Seals on the east coast towards the latter part of which time male/male competition can be intense. This behaviour was, therefore, very unusual in that it was seen at a time of year when Grey Seals should not be competing (or mating). My thanks to Tim Melling for his explanation and interpretation concluding that the big size difference makes it likely that this behaviour was probably sexual aggression towards a non willing female.
This building is the work of two former students of Mies Van der Rohe. It shares the basic concepts put in practice by Mies in many of his buildings, but in this case the structrure is covered by a pronounced, curved skin.
Adult Black Skimmer discarding an eggshell away from its nest
Photograph captured with a Canon EOS 1DXII camera paired with a Canon 600mm f/4 IS II lens and 2x extender, at 1200mm
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experiencing some behaviour that I have never seen before from young red squirrels. These kits were unafraid of the water and would enter without any fear
Eared grebes have a variety of interesting bonding behaviours. I'm going to try to describe one of them. This images shows shows a single frame from a sequence (wish I had a video) where the male and female grebe face each other and are slightly puffed up. They vocalize, turn their heads, tilt their heads down and away from each other and do a quick bit of preening on their own neck area, face each other again, turn to the opposite side, and preen again. This is repeated a few times. Quite intriguing.
A Spotted Towhee uses a small shallow puddle to engage in a bout of bathing. The bird was performing that essential behaviour in Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park on the east-central coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster
(Red-bellied Grackle / Cacique candela)
La Ceja, Colombia
Some male birds will bring food to a female as part of courtship to show he can provide for any chicks she may produce. He may simply bring the food for her to eat or in some cases actually transfer it directly to her mouth just as he would to hungry nestlings.
www.britishbirdlovers.co.uk/articles/courtship-behaviour-...
hello my friends,nice to see you again.
here a very young yellow baboon (papio cynocephalus) showing us a tipical human behaviour.
there isnt any doubt we share a lot with them.
"almost human"
luangwa valley ,Zambia.
original 3K file here:
OBSERVE Collective
All images are © Copyrighted and All Rights Reserved
germanstreetphotography.com/michael-monty-may/
In February of this year, before the pandemic changed behaviours and made birding trips impossible, I went on a solo jaunt for a couple of nights in Algonquin Park. It was mostly sunny, very cold, almost perfect weather for winter birding and bird photography.
This was one of my most exciting finds. The main highway that runs through the Park is a winding small road, frankly, but a road on which one can find many bird species and the occasional moose. But the shoulders are narrow and the corners often tricky, and so stopping is often dangerous.
So one is left with the small parking lots to trails that are unplowed in the winter. Snowshoes are super handy. And there were regular birding reports (when they were encouraging visits pre-pandemic) to give you a sense of where there might be birds to find.
This find was a fluke, as they often are. There had been reports that small flocks were visiting the parking lot of the Park’s Visitors Centre. There were a few there, but they were high up in the trees looking for cones or down on the ground eating the dirt/grit that was spread on the ground in the parking lot to help cars manage the snow. Crossbills eat the grit, drawing them to some unpleasant photo opportunities like parking lots, to aid their digestion of cones.
I noticed some birds flying behind the Visitors Centre along a line of tall pines. So I marched down the somewhat treacherous path along the side of the Centre, which is built upon a lookout. As I went down the side of the building, I saw the birds: dirt had been spread down below for the maintenance people in the Centre, and the birds were happier eating their grit there, without the cars in the parking lot.
This bird, a younger and somewhat timid creature, was waiting his turn, watching for an opening in the group of birds on the ground. He was perfectly perched for a photograph, and a light snow was starting to fall, making it a great Algonquin birding moment.