Sometime leader and all time friend of Wildlife Travel, Jono Leadley will be running the York 10K in support of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust in July.
Those of you who know Jono will know just how unlikely a prospect that is... so please consider supporting him, and more importantly the good cause of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Wildlife News: 2nd June 2011
- The rather delightful Red-crested Tree Rat (above, photo copyright Lizzie Noble/www.proaves.org) appears for the first time in 113 years... by turning up at the front door of an eco-lodge in Colombia!
- Ghosts of Gone Birds: coming to BirdFair in August and London in November... get those dates in your diary! (and see you there!)
- Iberian Lynx project in Portugal recognised by EU. Now all they need are some Lynx...
- Scottish Mink: days numbered?
- Nightingales missing: shocking 50% drop in just over a decade!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Blast from the Past: New Zealand
A shingle-and-shell spit on the edge of a shallow bay. A flock of small wader dozing away at high tide roost.
Fairly plain waders, silvery grey above, white underneath with a mid-length, dark bill and mid-length, dark legs. Fairly standard wader fare...
A lazy stretch: so they have a white wing bar. And a vague hint at a plover-like patch at the chest sides, perhaps?
A turn of the head...
... and an otherwise fairy unimposing bird turns into one of the world's 'must see' species, a real one-off. The location, of course, is New Zealand, more specifically the water treatment works just outside Auckland, back in January (feels like SO long ago now!). And the good news (for me, anyway!) is that most of my photos have been recovered from my smashed hard drive. Hence these Wrybills!Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Aragon Pyrenees: orchid-tastic!
A superb week in the mountains, where the sun shone and the spring was a good couple of weeks early (apparently, in complete contrast to the eastern Med/Balkans where I've been for much of the spring).
A highlight for me, and something of a surprise, was the variety and particularly the sheer numbers of orchids in flower: on every roadside, under every patch of trees.
As well as the following photographed species, I also happened upon Sword-leaved Helleborine (one of my favourite orchids, and flowering just about everywhere!), White Helleborine, Broad-leaved Helleborine, Dense-flowered Orchid, Early Purple Orchid (mostly heading over), Champagne Orchid (a single spike past its best, presumably most have finished by now), Serapias lingua and (to my eyes, anyway) Heath Spotted Orchid. There are also Bee and Woodcock Orchids out there for the finding, as well as some well-guarded Lady's Slipper. Something to look for next time!
Pyramidal Orchid
Fragrant Orchid
Orchis langei
The ever-spectacular Lizard Orchid
Lady Orchid, together with Greater Butterfly and Lang's Orchids, one of the commonest orchids in the area, found everywhere from the high alpine meadows around 2000m to hot lowland (relatively) roadsides.
Military Orchid
Burnt Orchid
The Dactylorhiza orchids are one group that, to me at any rate, are more bewildering even than the Ophryses. These stocky, chunky, deep purple spikes in wetter areas in the alpine meadows, I guess, must be Dactylorhiza majalis... although quite why, I have no idea.
Whereas this tall, elegant, almost 'traunsteineri' plant growing in an area of rushy riverside wetland would seem to fit with Dactlyorhiza elata. Perhaps.
Phew. At last, a Dactylorhiza that's pretty straight forward!
Elder-flowered Orchid, which comes in two colours: this lovely buttery yellow, and a pinky 'rhubarb and custard' form.
Greater Butterfly Orchid. Everywhere!!
Lesser Butterfly Orchid. I have to admit that, after finding this spike, I stopped checking the position of pollinia and just enjoyed the spectacle!
Ophrys sphegodes, the Early Spider Orchid. Quite what it has to do with spiders, I haven't the foggiest...
Ophrys insectifera, the ever-appealing Fly Orchid
A highlight for me, and something of a surprise, was the variety and particularly the sheer numbers of orchids in flower: on every roadside, under every patch of trees.
As well as the following photographed species, I also happened upon Sword-leaved Helleborine (one of my favourite orchids, and flowering just about everywhere!), White Helleborine, Broad-leaved Helleborine, Dense-flowered Orchid, Early Purple Orchid (mostly heading over), Champagne Orchid (a single spike past its best, presumably most have finished by now), Serapias lingua and (to my eyes, anyway) Heath Spotted Orchid. There are also Bee and Woodcock Orchids out there for the finding, as well as some well-guarded Lady's Slipper. Something to look for next time!
Pyramidal Orchid
Fragrant Orchid
Orchis langei
The ever-spectacular Lizard Orchid
Lady Orchid, together with Greater Butterfly and Lang's Orchids, one of the commonest orchids in the area, found everywhere from the high alpine meadows around 2000m to hot lowland (relatively) roadsides.
Military Orchid
Burnt Orchid
The Dactylorhiza orchids are one group that, to me at any rate, are more bewildering even than the Ophryses. These stocky, chunky, deep purple spikes in wetter areas in the alpine meadows, I guess, must be Dactylorhiza majalis... although quite why, I have no idea.
Whereas this tall, elegant, almost 'traunsteineri' plant growing in an area of rushy riverside wetland would seem to fit with Dactlyorhiza elata. Perhaps.
Phew. At last, a Dactylorhiza that's pretty straight forward!Elder-flowered Orchid, which comes in two colours: this lovely buttery yellow, and a pinky 'rhubarb and custard' form.
Greater Butterfly Orchid. Everywhere!!
Lesser Butterfly Orchid. I have to admit that, after finding this spike, I stopped checking the position of pollinia and just enjoyed the spectacle!
Ophrys sphegodes, the Early Spider Orchid. Quite what it has to do with spiders, I haven't the foggiest...
Ophrys insectifera, the ever-appealing Fly OrchidSunday, May 22, 2011
Is there anybody out there?
I sometimes wonder to myself, when sorting out photos at the end of a busy day in the field, 'but does anyone actually read your blog?'
So... do you? And if so, what do you think? Is it interesting?? How did you get here, and will you be coming back again??
See that button down below, 'comment'... please leave me one!
Cheers!
Philip
So... do you? And if so, what do you think? Is it interesting?? How did you get here, and will you be coming back again??
See that button down below, 'comment'... please leave me one!
Cheers!
Philip
Aragon Pyrenees: 22nd May 2011
And behold, there was sunshine... blue skies, fluffy white clouds, spectacular mountains. The perfect backdrop to a day of wandering the lanes. Perfect weather for butterflies, and for big soaring things. The skies were permanently full of raptors today (what do all these vultures eat??), with Booted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Hobby and a very noisy Peregrine new for the trip.
At a smaller scale, butterflies were VERY active today, with 30 species putting in an appearance: highlights were my first Spanish Heath, together with Pearly Heath, Spanish Fritillary, Southern White Admiral and Berger's Clouded Yellow.
By the river, Subalpine and Melodious Warblers and Nightingale seem in permanent competition to see who can sing loudest, although all lose out to the noisy chorus of the Iberian Water Frogs.
And now I'm off out again... Citril Finches just up the road are proving too tempting!
Egyptian Vulture
Agrilus sp. Just days after bemoaning how I never seem to see Jewel Beetles, in the last two days I've found three different species, including this handsome fellow who has a 'thing' for yellow flowers, and the beautiful Anthaxia salicis, a metallic blue and red concoction that unfortunately wasn't quite such a good poser as its larger, greener cousin.
Southern White Admiral
Spanish Heath
At a smaller scale, butterflies were VERY active today, with 30 species putting in an appearance: highlights were my first Spanish Heath, together with Pearly Heath, Spanish Fritillary, Southern White Admiral and Berger's Clouded Yellow.
By the river, Subalpine and Melodious Warblers and Nightingale seem in permanent competition to see who can sing loudest, although all lose out to the noisy chorus of the Iberian Water Frogs.
And now I'm off out again... Citril Finches just up the road are proving too tempting!
Egyptian Vulture
Agrilus sp. Just days after bemoaning how I never seem to see Jewel Beetles, in the last two days I've found three different species, including this handsome fellow who has a 'thing' for yellow flowers, and the beautiful Anthaxia salicis, a metallic blue and red concoction that unfortunately wasn't quite such a good poser as its larger, greener cousin.
Southern White Admiral
Spanish HeathSaturday, May 21, 2011
Aragon Pyrenees: 21st May 2011
Mainly a day of sunshine, walking and butterflies (21 species stood still long enough for me to put a name to them). Oh, and a rather nice adult Ladder Snake crossing the path that paused long enough to have his photo taken before hissing at me and disappearing into the grass. I wasn't going to argue...
Spanish Fritillary
Glanville Fritillary
Adonis Blue
Little Blue
Wood White
Grizzled Skipper
Trumpet Gentians never fail to entertain!
Spanish Fritillary
Glanville Fritillary
Adonis Blue
Little Blue
Wood White
Grizzled Skipper
Trumpet Gentians never fail to entertain!
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