10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 21, 2015

I’ve not made spectacular progress writing up my trip to Africa earlier this year, so perhaps I should get on that. So instead let’s talk about South Africa’s best kept birding secret (at least outside of the country) Wakkerstroom. It was also weirdly good for quail, of sorts.

South Africa 145

South Africa Africa Falcons Family 145

10,000 Birds

JUNE 16, 2022

Hunting and disturbance, deterioration, fragmentation and destruction of habitat were the forces behind the decline of this, once widespread species, making it Critically Endangered on the IUCN Global Red List.

Gazelles 257

Gazelles India 2012 Pakistan 257

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

While much of the attention that Africa’s tourism industry gets is for its (deservedly) popular national parks and game reserves, a lot of wildlife viewing is possible away from the big name places. Brown-hooded Kingfishers hunt far from water. As well as birds, the reserve holds endangered species like African Wild Dogs.

Zimbabwe 100

Zimbabwe Botswana South Africa Endangered Species 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2012

All the inhabited continents except Africa have experienced bird extinctions; however the 2012 update of the IUCN Red List shows a startling, but not altogether unexpected, trend in that more and more of our bird species are facing extinction.

Endangered Species 191

Endangered Species Species Morocco South Africa 191

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 17, 2011

Once he is old enough, he will join the group of cheetahs living in Cheetah Run, the innovative new habitat opening alongside the Cheetah Hunt launch coaster that will bring guests face to face with these agile predators. It was on the SSP and Jacksonville Zoo’s advice that the new baby was brought to Busch Gardens.

Jacksonville 100

Jacksonville White Rhinos Zoos Rhinos 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2012

In fact, this sub-species was formerly classified as endangered in the US under the Endangered Species Act. Growing up in South Africa, I fell in love with our two representatives of this genus, the Pearl-spotted Owlet and the Barred Owlet. A nice Ferruginous Pygmy Owl showing its rufous tail.

Owls 150

Owls Texas Arizona Pigs 150

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2013

The bulk of my lifers were on a trip to India in October/November but all the birds were surpassed by watching and photographing a Snow Leopard hunting and killing a Blue Sheep , so none of them are real contenders for BBOTY. The bird in question is one of the world’s most beautiful, rarest and least known seabirds, Barau’s Petrel.

2013 167

2013 Birds Costa Rica India 167