The Common Starling – friend or foe?
Don’t Dismiss the Starling – it has many virtues It’s so easy to dismiss Starlings as strutting, greedy and noisy birds that we are better off without in our parks and gardens. But you might do well to take a closer look. Seen in the right light, the plumage of the adults is stunning. And…
Where to See Bee-Eaters
The European Bee-Eater breeds in southern Europe. With climate change, it is extending its territory north. Bee-eaters are now nesting in the UK.
Counting on Birds
Bird Watching in Estremadura, Spain I’ve just finished reading Martin Kelsey’s series of three blogs: Big Year 2022. They describe how he undertook to beat his own birding record of the number of species sighted in Extremadura in Spain … beautifully written, evocative, and making a phenomenally skillful task sound almost easy. https://www.birdingextremadurablog.com/ Of course,…
Red Kites – A Return to Sender – Translocation, UK to Spain!
In 2022 a number of young Red Kites were taken from the nest in UK, and sent to Spain to help rebuild the population of these beautiful birds. In 1989 the UK benfited from a similar programme to re-establish the population here.
On Red Kites, Marsh Harriers, and the magnificent Spanish Imperial Eagle
Even between highly distinctive raptors there are always times when confusion can occur.
Bait in Bird Photography and Conservation Research
The Bait Debate When we published our blog on The Golden Eagles of Parque Natural de Montesinho a friend of ours questioned whether we should have used bait to film these birds, and it got us thinking more about this. https://woodcockwood.com/golden-eagles-montesinho-portugal/ In fact it is a complicated issue, in part dependent on motives and objectives,…
Golden Eagles of Montesinho
Juvenile and adult Golden Eagle feeding on a carcass over the course of 3 days, photographed in Montesinho Natural Park, northern Portugal.
Greater Spotted and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers
Many cavity nesting birds dependent on woodpeckers for excavation of holes.
Blue Tits and Black Redstarts
Blue Tits leave nest box with no preliminary exploration of the world they are entering. Black Redstarts have the opportunity to explore, but are vulnerable to other dangers.
Eurasian Jays and Azure-winged Magpies
Watching the behaviour of Jays in UK and Azure-winged Magpies in Monfragüe (Spain) struck by their beauty and intelligence.