You are browsing the archives of 2006 August.

I was mucking around researching on the net the other day and found a really excellent blog called ‘Coffee and Conservation’ - which deals with all aspects of - well, ‘coffee’ and ‘conservation’. The URL is http://www.coffeehabitat.com

Coffee and coffee-shops are everywhere these days - half the world seems incapable of getting out of bed in [...]

A couple of months ago, in my determined (some might say obsessive) effort to exert some sense of sorely needed structure on this site, I collected all of my Reasons To Become a Bird Watcher posts on to a single page. Too bad I forgot to announce or even link to the new compilation. This [...]

Tawny-flanked Prinia Prinia subflava
Abuja, Nigeria. 15 August 2006>
 
The Tawny-flanked Prinia Prinia subflava is the commonest member of its family, and is found in the “old world” from western Africa right across the northern hemisphere as far as China. It is typically found in rank grassland, and is common in gardens, scrub, fields, and secondary, degraded [...]

Plain-backed Pipit Anthus leucophrys
Abuja, Nigeria. 15 August 2006
 
The Plain-backed Pipit Anthus leucophrys is a common and widespread African endemic occurring right across central and southern Africa. Many subspecies are recognised, and the one in central Nigeria is zenkeri - which is found from S. Mali/Ghana to parts of Kenya. Zenkeri is a particularly richly-coloured form [...]

Abuja, Nigeria
15 August 2006
 
A historical note (which may - or may not - be of interest):
I imagine anyone with a radio, tv, or with internet access will know of the ‘alleged’ bomb threat that has ground the UK’s major airports to a standstill this past week, and I guess anyone reading this might expect me [...]

Whale watching is great fun for the whole family, with the possible exception of those members prone to seasickness. A fifty-foot long humpback whale breaching a mere 10 yards off the starboard bow or dolphins skimming blithely in a ship’s wake are sights you’ll carry for a lifetime. An added bonus of the search for [...]

African Thrush Turdus pelios
Abuja, Nigeria. 15 August 2006

The African Thrush Turdus pelios is a highly variable and taxonomically contentious species found right across central Africa, with perhaps future splits in the offing. Nigerian birds are extremely plain: Clement and Hathaway (in Thrushes Helm, 2000) recognise six races, and the one in central Nigeria would appear [...]

Ah Maine, land of wild blueberries and roaming moose. When blistering summer heat is wearing you down, the Pine Tree State promises perfect days and nights. Maine comes by the title “Vacationland” honestly, offering superior hiking, boating, antiquing, shopping, blueberrying, whale watching, and lobster eating. But how’s the birding? The Core Team was, as usual, [...]

Did you know that Acadia National Park ranks as one of the most popular and heavily visited national parks in the U.S.? We didn’t either until we drove the 20-mile Park Loop Road. This circuit hits many of the park’s natural attractions, including Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, and Jordan Pond. I can’t tell you how [...]

A whale watching tour is undoubtedly one of the highlights of a summer trip to Maine. Since our interest in sealife extends to those creatures that fly above the ocean’s surface, we booked the Puffins & Whales tour run by the Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company. Our 3.5 hour excursion promised a full survey of [...]