10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2021

Once I observed a man walking his two small dogs here, passing by a perched White-tailed Eagle but looking down at grass and not noticing the largest raptor in Europe at all. The eagle seemed well-used to people and paid no attention either.

Otters 264

Otters Protest Protesting Protesters 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 8, 2015

For a long time it was treated as a subspecies of the ubiquitous Black Kite, a species of scavenging bird of prey much hated by my grandfather (they used to steal food from troops during the war, if memory serves). A valuable lesson in looking twice at the ubiquitous species. And as you can see, they are pretty good looking too.

South Africa 160

South Africa Africa Botswana Wolves 160

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2014

With about 110 recorded species, the Kozara becomes truly magical place when the Danube swells and reclaims what is rightfully his. On the other side of the river, underneath the very buttresses of the Belgrade Fortress, with its 170 recorded bird species lies the Veliko Ratno Island (44°49’53.20″N, 20°26’4.98″E).

Serbia 245

Serbia Stray Dog Protection Botswana 245

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2019

After getting to the letter C last week in a roughly alphabetical order, I will show the second 10 species today. The Light-vented Bulbul is probably one of the two or three most common species here in Shanghai, which is not bad given that it is a fairly attractive bird.

Latvia 127

Latvia Birds Sparrows Abandon 127

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

The very first thing we notice about this large member of the Galliformes is that there is a wild version and a domestic version, and although the two are rather different, they are both given the same species name, Meleagris gallopavo. This is not entirely unknown among domestic animals, but many domesticates have no living wild version.

Turkey 210

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 210

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 17, 2020

A somewhat more credible selection to be sure, as lions actually do exist, but one that sadly snubs the native Scottish wildcat in favor of a felid that’s been extinct in Europe since antiquity.

Eagles 164

Eagles Lions Hunting Lamb 164

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2022

This is often the case in birds – for the young birds, it is more important to be invisible than to impress the other birds of the same species. It sometimes makes a rather strange croaking noise, a bit as if a dog tries to bark but does not know how to do it properly. The young birds (shown in one photo) look similar but duller.

Birds 162

Birds Fish Germany China 162

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

Africa has more than its fair share of storks, with 8 of the world’s 19 species gracing the continent. Storks are typically viewed as wetland species and whilst some storks are restricted to aquatic habitats, others are not. This is another wetland species that nests in sometimes huge colonies atop trees bordering rivers and lakes.

Africa 246

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 246

Critter News

AUGUST 19, 2008

Amy, a German shepherd, and Uno, a Labrador retriever, have joined the team at {Frankfurt,} one of Europe's busiest airports — the first two dogs in Germany trained to sniff out live animals, plants or derivatives or remains of them.

Trafficking 100

Trafficking Germany illegal Reptiles 100

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 10, 2013

No, the real downside is planning a post, say a post about a a particular species, maybe a thrush that you just happened to have taken a couple of half-decent images of recently.

Norway 151

Norway Geese Shelters Laws 151

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2016

A flock of small birds at the dyke, Yellowhammers mostly… I cannot see well because of one enthusiastic hunting dog which takes pleasure in running through the snow and flushing them up whenever the birds land. Scanning the water for rarer species… S. warns me of two locally rare Bean Geese.

Geese 183

Geese Hunting Boars Birds 183

4 The Love Of Animals

NOVEMBER 24, 2009

The Secrets Inside Your Dog’s Mind. Brian Hare, assistant professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University, holds out a dog biscuit. See Pictures of Dogs Learning New Tricks. No one in the room–neither dog nor human–can tell which cup hides the biscuit. See a video on how dogs think like us.

Wolves 100

Wolves Fox Dogs Puppies 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2014

That was a wild cat, a wild Wildcat, the cat that lives in the wild because that is where it is from and where it belongs, at the southern end of its pan-African range that extended at one time well into Europe and Asia. Also, feral Cats on islands seem to be a serious problem, causing the extirpation of some indigenous species.

Feral Cats 256

Feral Cats North America Feral Cats 256

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2011

The most common species we see are the Stoke’s Sea Snake Astrotia stokesii , Dubois’ Sea Snake Aipysurus duboisii and the Olive Sea Snake Aipysurus laevis. She has lived in the Middle East and the United States and traveled extensively in Europe. And that was one lucky dog, ey? I hope you enjoy these photos!

Australia 153

Australia 2011 Sharks Deer 153

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2024

A bit of rain caused a two-hour delay on the flight in and, on my way back to Europe, they couldn’t find the airplane (clue: big metal thing with wings). My hosts could confidently tick off the species on their life list. We got at least three sub-species but the highlight was a Wilson’s Snipe we flushed.

Denver 176

Denver Colorado Ducks Mules 176

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Originally from India and the vicinity, it is believed that they had already undergone two major expansions – through Asia Minor in the 1600s, and then across Europe in the 1900s – when they first appeared in North America. Especially of all the species that had been introduced to the US.

Montana 138

Montana 2011 New York Bahamas 138

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2018

In the last several hundred years, this service has been performed by hops, but before their widespread adoption in medieval Europe, brewers relied on a compendium of botanical agents to bitter their beers – some of which contained psychoactive or mildly toxic substances. Louis, Missouri population. That is, unless some St.

Collecting 100

Collecting St. Louis Dogs Sparrows 100

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2016

This seems to apply especially to birders in North American since most European birders couldn’t discriminate between a Marsh and a Reed Warbler to save their life, but even here in the good old Europe, our hearts are impure – mine included. But first some context. Yes, the cheeks.

Germany 100

Germany Europe Breeding North America 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 13, 2011

Originally considered monotypic, two species are now recognized. Drakensberg (or Orange-breasted) Rockjumper is a Drakensberg Mountain species whose range is shared with the tiny landlocked kingdom of Lesotho. Males of this species are more brightly colored in their non-breeding winter plumage. the Rockjumpers.

South Africa 234

South Africa Lesotho Africa Swaziland 234

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2021

And fittingly, as a native of this region that straddles the line between the barley-growing, brewing north of Europe and the grape-growing, winemaking south, Medardus is a patron saint of both brewers and vintners. Good birding and happy drinking!

France 241

France Eagles Shelters Suffering 241

10,000 Birds

MARCH 26, 2014

It hasn’t achieved as much attention yet, presumably because people are rather preoccupied with wars brewing in Eastern Europe and missing airliners, but give it time. If the whole thing passed you by then Mother Jones did a good piece on why zoos sometimes have to kill individuals for the good of the species.

Lions 150

Lions Giraffes Zoos Killing 150

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2019

Birders cherish and hoard books above all other trappings of the pastime, and rather than relegating these tomes to the home library or study, they’re routinely carried out-of-doors as constant and dog-eared companions in field and forest. One of these images is a depiction of four dark falcons with speckled breasts perched on a rail.

2015 113

2015 Italy Falcons Europe 113