I visited Retzer Nature Center in Waukesha, Wisconsin, to look for cardinals and blue jays. As I walked along the tree line, a northern flicker flew low in front of me, coming in from my right. I had just enough time to raise my camera and capture this beautiful bird with its wing feathers spread in a downward position.
Mike Brickl Dousman, Wisconsin
I was not disappointed sitting in my backyard, Nikon Coolpix P900 in hand. A beautiful female pileated woodpecker flew from tree to tree looking for a good meal. As she finally perched on a wooden fence that had seen better days, I took aim and got the perfect shot. Persistence does pay off!
Lillian Stewart Princeton, West Virginia
The spotted towhee inhabits many areas of western North America. The species tends to prefer forest edges, thickets and shrubby park areas. I took this photo while hiking along a trail near Boulder, Colorado. The towhee is sitting on a wild plum tree, which blooms in the foothills during spring. I was able to catch them both together.
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Growing Trends
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The Young & the Restless Peregrine Falcons
It is 04h30 and I am woken from fitful sleep by a clamour of screeching, seemingly right next to my head. It takes a second for me to orientate myself and process what is happening. I am sleeping on a lumpy fold-out chair on the fifth floor of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Rondebosch, Cape Town, and I realise that about a metre above my head is one of the breeding boxes for the hospital’s well known Peregrine Falcons. The juveniles are up early and in a demanding mood.
The Eyes Have It
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BIRDSALL
Legends often prophesize a chosen one who will rise from nothing to rescue the masses. Many times the chosen one will bear a mark or symbol, a way to reveal their true identity. Aaron Birdsall carries one such mark on his back. Non-believers may say it’s merely a tattoo procured in an impetuous moment, but it may very well be a sign Birdsall will become the rocker who was prophesied, destined for greatness.
Free for All
"In august 2020 the results of the critical vulture nesting survey held annually in Zululand, northern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), were sobering."
Urban Perils - House Sparrows on the decline
Supertramps are species that have spread around the world in association with humans and they include rats, house mice and a host of weedy plant species.
Blue over Green, Tent in Between
I’m old , I’m cranky. Why do I keep air-camping?
Looking Up
When you are an ant, the stakes are always high. There are those who would eat you—birds, snakes, bigger bugs—and those who could trample you and your environment in a single sneakered step. These enormous beings may not mean you any harm, but it is impact, not intention, that matters most.
The Island of Birds
Imagine an island untouched by humans and without any large mammals. Colorful and strange birds of all shapes and sizes swoop over lush forests and seaside hills.