Dr. Roberta L. Bondar’s handsome new book of photographs, Space for Birds: Patterns and Parallels of Beauty and Flight, comes in two halves, but it has several subjects and multiple viewpoints. Part One of the book concerns the Lesser Flamingo, which has, Dr. Bondar observes, four separate wild populations in the world, in Africa and […]
Two weeks ago, I wrote here about what may end up being my Bird of the Year for 2024: a Lesser Ground-Cuckoo which gave us fantastic views in my beloved town of Paso Ancho, Michoacán. This sighting was so exciting for me (seriously, you have to check out this bird’s face), that I dedicated the […]
What is your favorite bird species? A tough question! As you start birding, you also start to form a clear list of your favorite birds in your mind, such as the Black-backed Grosbeak. That bird to me is a symbol of where I come from as a birder. But then there is the Green-bearded Helmetcrest, […]
When the new NL 10x and 14×52 mm binoculars were announced by Swarovski, even though I find this series a bit oversized for my tastes, I was still curious about the 10s. I mean, which birder uses 14s? Do you know anyone using such a high magnification? Exactly, neither do I. Yet, my regional sales […]
There’s nothing like an unexpected bird to get the pulse racing, as I was reminded on a recent warm and sunny summer’s evening. I was driving my small open-top car on a neighbour’s farm to see what I could find. The farm in question is large – 1,000 acres – and mainly arable, though a […]
Di Linh is a town and district in South Vietnam a bit less than 2 hours southwest of Dalat. It is the kind of small place that still offers some living space to birds right in the town – witness this Chestnut-tailed Starling nesting in a lamppost. The professional bullshitters/ChatGPT users from our friends of […]
An Economist article published in February 2024 describes the rise of cuteness (“Small, but mighty: how cuteness has taken over the world“). It specifically mentions Japan: “Cute things are everywhere, not just online. In Japan—where appreciation for all things kawaii is especially keen—roadblocks come in the form of dolphins, ducks or frogs.” No surprise then that the […]
One of the highlights of my summer holidays was a week-long hiking trip with two birding friends I met last year while volunteering at the bird observatory on Heligoland. We planned the trip for a while and were all eager to see some of the specialities of the Alps. Having never been birding in montane […]
Take a quick look at the breeding distribution of European birds and you will see that there are a surprising number of species that are restricted to the Balkans. (The Balkans, by the way, is a loose term for Europe’s south-eastern peninsula, covering the countries of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Greece.) […]
Having been to New York City on many occasions, I had never had the opportunity to visit Central Park, all of my trips over the years were short, busy business trips. On this particular occasion, it would be different, I am now retired and my wife and I would be vacationing in NY, with no […]
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