Between Thursday and Monday I went from a World Bank workshop in Lima on deforestation to 900 km away, slogging my way along rainforest trails next to the upper Madre de Dios River, contemplating the impact of deforestation on Banded Antbirds. OK, that may be a bit contrived, even for me! Let me take a… Continue reading Banded Antbirds (Part 1) of the Southwest Amazon Moist Forests
The Uncommon Raven of the Northern Canadian Shield Taiga
I’ve just made my first trip to the Northern Canadian Shield Taiga Ecoregion (NA0612), specifically a winter visit to the capital city of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. France and I were searching the skies for the famed Aurora borealis and on our last day we did indeed see a great show, standing on a frozen lake… Continue reading The Uncommon Raven of the Northern Canadian Shield Taiga
Unwelcome at the Malheur Visitor’s Centre
Supposedly Oregon’s Malheur River was so named in about 1825 because during a Hudson’s Bay Company expedition, a cache of hidden furs had been stolen. A “malheur” in French is a hardship, disaster, or ordeal. I haven’t yet found the proof, but my alternative theory is that the first French-Canadian to “discover” this area, so… Continue reading Unwelcome at the Malheur Visitor’s Centre
Joshua Trees in the Mojave Desert
I have previously written a blog on the sloth-loving President of the United States. Last week France and I visited the Mojave Desert Ecoregion (NA1308), in the vicinity of Las Vegas, NV and Death Valley National Park, CA. Curiously, sloths were again on my mind, as we drove through patches of striking Joshua Trees. The… Continue reading Joshua Trees in the Mojave Desert
Darwin Mockers on the Galapagos
My father died last month. During our last visit, I told him that France and I would shortly be heading to the Galapagos, which he had never been able to visit. He reminded us he had a copy of The Voyage of the Beagle. Just two months before, I had read to him the introductory… Continue reading Darwin Mockers on the Galapagos
Magnificent Frigate Pelicans of the South Florida Rocklands
As a lonely speck in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, the Dry Tortugas are a godsend to tired northbound spring bird migrants, crossing from South America. These famed islands are one of the extremities of the United States – a few tiny coral islands in the Gulf, about 90 km west of Key West,… Continue reading Magnificent Frigate Pelicans of the South Florida Rocklands
Jersey Boys in Cape May
France and I were just in Cape May, NJ, looking for a particularly colorful strain of Jersey Boys. My first ecoregion birding blog was from this same area of the Northeastern Coastal Forests Ecoregion (NA0411), which extends the entire length of the New Jersey coast. That was in the spring; this time was a frigid winter day. We… Continue reading Jersey Boys in Cape May
“Dr. Pasha’s weaver, I presume?”
I’m visiting Kinshasa, in the Western Congolian Forest-Savanna Mosaic (AT0723) Ecoregion, but not much birding to be done in this city. I always have breakfast in the pleasant outdoor area of the Pullman Hotel, ringed by potted papyrus. Each morning, there is a flock of little yellow siskin-like birds dashing in and out, stealing crumbs. They are… Continue reading “Dr. Pasha’s weaver, I presume?”
Hawaii Tropical Low Shrublands: inspiring news from Papahanaumokuakea
This site’s blogs are intended to showcase ideas about ecoregions, conservation, and birds. But for the second time in a row, I veer to the political, and President Obama pops up in my thoughts. I just wrote about the President’s declaration of an important new national monument in Maine on the occasion of the 100th… Continue reading Hawaii Tropical Low Shrublands: inspiring news from Papahanaumokuakea
New England-Acadian Forests Ecoregion: the Birds and the Bees and Bon Anniversaire!
The New England-Acadian Forests Ecoregion (NA0410) (see the link for a map and a short description) covers an enormous area extending from southern Québec and the Maritimes south through Maine to Connecticut. It represents a transition from northern and colder coniferous ecoregions to warmer more deciduous areas to the south. France and I spent the Labor Day… Continue reading New England-Acadian Forests Ecoregion: the Birds and the Bees and Bon Anniversaire!