Over the past several weeks, I’ve had the fortune of being able to find birds sitting relatively still and have filmed them doing their stuff. All of the species in the video below are quite common here at Xandari, but I hope to eventually be able to share footage of even more rare and exciting birds that James and I sometimes see!
For more bird videos that I’ve taken in the past, you can Continue reading
Sage grouse in a part of Wyoming where Shell has gas fields. Credit Jim Wilson/The New York Times
Conservation is a classic collective action challenge. Collaboration is a requisite for success. This New York Times report on the struggle between the energy needs of a country, and efforts to conserve a bird species illustrates how green priorities can sometimes conflict in unexpected ways, and how cooperation can prevail for the common good:
…On paper, at least, the Wyoming plan is in line with federal goals, officials say. It cordons off large areas as critical for the bird to survive, and its authors say it is the best compromise they could fashion.
Nestled in the gray-green sagebrush on the sprawling ranches or pecking their way along the dusty roads near the Pinedale Anticline gas fields, the squat, mottled-brown birds appeared unruffled. But they are persnickety creatures easily disturbed by human activities. Every year, males return to relatively open areas called leks, splaying their tail feathers and puffing up their chests as they waddle and call to attract hens. Vulnerable to predators like coyotes and eagles, the grouse depends on vast expanses of sagebrush for food and shelter. Wyoming’s plan would restrict development to levels that would not disturb the birds. For example, it would limit surface disturbance to 5 percent a square mile and ban activity within 0.6 miles of the leks. Continue reading
One of the finished chimes
The picture above shows one of a couple bamboo wind chimes that Seth and I built to put up around Xandari. The sound is, err, rather wooden–but definitely mild and pleasant! You may be asking why we took it upon ourselves to demonstrate our mighty artistic prowess. Well, we really had the birds of Xandari in mind with this project. Specifically, a poor Buff-throated Saltator who had thrown himself against the spa window so many times that he had Continue reading
Cada día, miles de personas alrededor del mundo están visitando un sitio de web, usando un app en su celular, o escribiendo en su cuaderno para documentar las aves que han visto en algún lugar. Algunos son científicos. Algunos simplemente están interesados en anotar la diversidad de sus patios. Varios tienen equipamiento sofisticado para ayudarles ver de lejos o tomar imágenes de las maravillas aladas que buscan.
En países como los Estados Unidos e Inglaterra, el pasatiempo de observar aves es Continue reading
Blue-crowned Motmot at Xandari
Trending on the web nowadays is the tagline “throwback Thursday,” or #tbt, used to recall old photos or experiences with an interesting or humorous sense of nostalgia. As James and I spend most early mornings going out around Xandari to explore the trails and document the avifauna we can find, I am reminded of similar excursions I made with my friend and fellow Tomás de Berlanga English teacher Mari, in Mindo, Ecuador.
About two years ago on the dot, Mari and I saw an amazing group of birds in one of Costa Rica’s great competitors in terms of birding hotspots. As you can see from my first post about manakins, two years ago I did not consider myself a birder — now, as James and I add our observations around Xandari to eBird every day, my opinion may have changed slightly Continue reading
Wren leaving her basket nest
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is hosting a “Funky Nests” contest for their Celebrate Urban Birds project. The above image is of a wren nest in a basket in my backyard (Atlanta, GA). Continue reading
It’s not all fun and games when it comes to games featuring the environment. With some green game apps, not only can you live in your world and play in it, you can learn stuff too.
Thanks to Conservation magazine for this article, published coincidentally exactly at the time when several Raxa Collective contributors were visiting the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which itself is participating in the App business (more on which, by Seth soon) in a manner resonant with the focus of this article:
DIALING INTO THE OUTDOORS THROUGH PHONE APPS
The Nature Deficit
Judging from the amount of time my grandkids hunch over their iPhones and iPads for game time, I’d have to say games have garnered a major portion of the younger set’s mindshare. And in my book that’s a shame. While more and more studies find that children’s outdoor time contributes to their well-being — by mitigating obesity, promoting cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and mental health, as well as boosting academic achievement — the number of hours children spend outdoors is on the decline. (See also here.) Continue reading
One of the 44 volumes containing over 3000 hand-coloured lithographs included in the sale
The Guardian notes the auction many of our ornithologically-oriented readers and contributors might find worth attending, even if not as bidders (given the expected final sale price) in order to see some of these prints up close (see samples after the jump):
Rare set of John Gould’s bird books for sale – in pictures
John Gould was one of the most brilliant ornithologists of the 19th century, and a talented artist to boot. He worked with Charles Darwin, travelled the world to research the beautiful folio works he produced, and set up a publishing company to sell them.
An egg mistakenly cracked by Charles Darwin is among the items in The Wonder of Birds exhibit. Photograph: Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery
Thanks to the Guardian for pointing us to an exhibition that will be of interest to ornithologically-inclined readers of this blog:
It is an unassuming object, a smallish, strangely glossy brown egg, and it is broken because of the carelessness of the last person you would expect – Charles Darwin.
“He squashed it into too small a box and it cracked, unfortunately,” said curator Francesca Vanke, explaining the state of the spotted tinamou egg going on display at Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery.
The object is the only known surviving egg from Darwin’s HMS Beagle voyage during the 1830s. Probably drawn to its glossy sheen, Darwin signed it C. Darwin and brought it back to Britain after collecting it in Uruguay. Continue reading
Maybe it’s already happened to you in years past: you walk into your garage, ready to take your first bike ride of the year now that it’s finally warm enough, but you lift your old helmet only to find that it is full of moss, leaves, and twigs. What?! You may think it’s a late April Fool’s joke, but actually it is the product of a lot of hard work by a small cavity-nesting bird that has found a safe place to put their home. Depending on where you live, it could be any number of species, but the most common by far are the Carolina Wren and House Wren.
Clockwise from top left, submissions are by Joe Hoelscher, David Hutchinson, Mike Smith, and Sophie Lyon.
Paul Kornacker
We never tire of sharing the results of contests to produce the best nature photography. The photo above is the winner of this year’s Gesellschaft Deutscher Tierfotografen–a new organization and contest for us–but we are slightly partial to one or two other finalists. Continue reading
Photo credits: Surus
Pathiramanal is a small island located in the backwaters of Alappuzha District, about 2 kilometers from the Muhumma boat jetty. Many rare varieties of migratory birds from different parts of the country come here to nest, adding to the scenic beauty of its location on Lake Vembanad. Continue reading
James Prosek, who more than a year back we invited to Kerala, has completed the mural that the Cornell Lab of Ornithology commissioned:
Science meets art at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as the Lab moves toward its centennial celebration in 2015. Artist, writer and naturalist James Prosek’s “Wall of Silhouettes” mural spans the full length of the north wall in the Lab’s visitor center.
The mural of life-sized silhouettes acknowledges the importance of the culture of bird watching to the scientific study of birds, and celebrates the blurred lines between hard science and the intangible beauty of personal experience in the field. Continue reading
Thanks to the folks at this fun aggregator site, we learned of Piip Show, a collaborative initiative bright to us by several artists and Norwegian Radio that allows a community of animals to gather in a setting familiar to many in modern urban landscapes around the world:
The story of Piip-Show
When the internet was just a baby sleeping quietly in its cradle, NRK broadcasted live from a bird house decorated like a little dollhouse. The year is 2003, and the mastermind behind the project, freelance photographer Magne Klann, receives attention even from the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC.
Photo credit: Faisal Magnet
The Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Nyctyornis athertoni is found in the Western Ghats of India. This species prefers openings in patches of dense forest. Continue reading
Photo credit: Faisal Magnet
The Yellow-footed Green Pigeon is the Maharashtra state bird, called Hariyal in Marathi, the language of the state. It is a resident of most of India and neighboring countries. Continue reading
Photo credits: Arid V K
The Coppersmith Barbet, Megalaima haemacephala, is a green bird with a crimson-colored forehead and breast, along with a yellow eye-ring and throat patch. It has a very distinct call, which has been likened to the sound made when a coppersmith strikes metal with his hammer. Continue reading
The last time big name celebrity got attached to a cinematic treatment of birdwatching, the results were underwhelming, though not a total disaster. Just kind of embarrassing if you care about birding and would like the activity to gain more traction with a wider audience. Thanks to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for pointing us to this, and to Ben Kingsley for his participation’s likely boost to its chances for success:
We’re excited about the release of a new birding movie, A Birder’s Guide to Everything. It’s a touching story that explores broad themes of growing up and growing wiser, while following four young actors and Sir Ben Kingsley on the trail of a possibly extinct species. Continue reading
Photo credits : Asif
Pakshipathalam is situated in the district of Wayanad, near Karimala peak. It contains numerous caves and is surrounded by rocky hillocks. Pakshipathalam is a haven for a large avian colony, mainly around the natural rock cave. Continue reading
Elephant
Sightings in the Periyar Tiger Reserve have always been an excitement for guests. It’s fun to see the animals from the boats but it’s even more enchanting to see them up close during treks in the reserve. These photos were taken by Cardamom County guest Mr. Oliver Wyatt, who was most delighted to share his experience.
Continue reading
Organikos 