Birds
Presentations I am preparing to give several book readings, presentations, and discussion sessions over the next four months. More will be added once the book is available. Some will focus on Alaska and what I cover in my book. Others will be versions of my talk titled What is a Raptor Anyway? Both are about … Read more
The Atherton Tablelands is a high flat plateau, 2400 ft elevation, that extends across eastern Queensland near Cairns. A series of volcanos spread basalt lava across this area, and it is now fertile agricultural land. We’d been cruising the back roads looking for birds. Brolga and Saurus Cranes fed in many pastures, and several small … Read more
“Don’t even think about it,” I imagined this dove saying to me as if I might be contemplating stealing his prospective mate. He had leaned forward, puffing out his chest and body feathers to make himself look grand. His bluish-black bill was tucked on his chest, his irises had taken on an intense yellow sheen, … Read more
Turacos live in equatorial Africa, and 23 living species occur in this family. Turacos are the only bird family found in the order Musophagidae. In graduate school, we studied all the orders (41) and many birds’ families, trying to build a broad ornithological knowledge in our education. Turacos are intensely colored, and their feathers contain … Read more
Flashes came from down in the thick brown grass. A blotch of white, then some black, then a little red, one flicker seemed the same color as the grass. Two birds were moving in jumps, dashes, and twists. It had to be two with that much movement, but I could never get more than a … Read more
The Trip The goal was to learn more about the country’s ecology and find birds, crocodiles, reptiles, insects, and plants. We planned stops in tropical forests, dry sclerophyll forests, open plains, and even the Great Barrier Reef. Over the coming months, I will do a series of posts on this trip, visiting key sites and … Read more
Our problem was our fascination with everything from butterflies to elephants. It slowed us down everywhere as one or another of us would spot something to investigate. Our guide, Nelson, was a fantastic person. His knowledge is vast, his patience tremendous, and his ability to show us things impressive. He knew all the places to … Read more
One of my charges at The Wilderness Society was to help bring a science component to our conservation work in Alaska. The landscape is wild and extensive but under many threats from development, climate change, and greed. We added an ecological and economic component to the excellent policy and advocacy work. I went to Anchorage … Read more
A Course for Friends of Malheur NWR I am excited to teach a Raptors of the Pacific Northwest course for the Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The course will cover the 19 diurnal raptors found regularly in Oregon, Idaho, Washington, British Columbia, and northern California. The first class is on February 28th and the … Read more
A rolling kwirr kwirr came from my right, so I leaned forward to look out the small window in my photography blind. In one of the walnuts, oaks, or locusts would be a Red-bellied Woodpecker, but nothing popped out. A half-inch of snow lay on the ground, and the trees were naked of leaves on this December … Read more