MigrationsMigrationsCells, birds, and musings from a biologist Articles
It?s okay to let wildlife live
2010-07-27 15:17:00 There’s a story in the NY Times blogs today that expresses an idea totally foreign to most of the peoples of the world: that one can observe and interact with birds (or any wildlife) without shooting it. This is a profoundly simple concept, but for the Kenyans in the story, it’s one that never dawned ... More About: Wildlife , Live
The Beasts of Malta
2010-07-26 09:04:00 Times of Malta — Beauties and the Beasts: One of the little egrets that recently successfully bred in Malta for the first time has been shot and killed. A witness said the bird was killed while flying near the Salina salt pans. Another survived the gunshot though it has a lot of feathers missing from ... More About: Conservation
E.O. Wilson?s Genius
2010-07-24 19:04:00 NOVA — “Every so often a giant emerges on the stage of science, someone who transcends the narrow boundaries of a particular line of research and alters our perspective on the world. E.O. Wilson is such a man.” He’s been called the Lord of the Ants, the Ant Whisperer, and the greatest biologist of the ...
Trip Report ? 13 July 2010
2010-07-22 13:20:00 This is a trip report for our Cyprus Birding Tours. Target was to see as many Mediterranean species as possible that would not be seen in the UK by two visitors from Long Eaton near Derby. Cyprus is not kind to birdwatchers in July. Not only is it usually extremely hot, but breeding birds are ... More About: Report , Trip
Saker Falcon
2010-07-21 14:19:00 It’s been a while since I posted a good bit of bird photography, mostly because I myself don’t have a good camera lens for wild birds, plus I don’t feel right begging for photos from others and I don’t have the money to pay for bird photographs. But I find it very nice to post ... More About: Falcon , Birding
Problems in Malta
2010-07-17 07:40:00 No words needed, other than to state the obvious that this is about birds and conservationism. Just watch. Arrival and First Impressions The Scale of the Problem Guns on Gozo & Honey Buzzard Tragedy Tagged: hunting, Malta More About: Conservation , Problems
Counting Species
2010-07-03 18:31:00 If you’re at all interested in topics of speciation, biodiversity, and the number of species on Earth, you should check out this blog post and discussion at Jerry Coyne’s blog Why Evolution is True on How many species are there?: Since I work on speciation, I?m often asked how many species there are on Earth. ...
European Roller (?????????????)
2010-06-30 12:29:00 From a couple of weekends ago at Kivisili in Cyprus. Taken by my father, Larry. See the entire post for a nice photo sequence of the bird. Beautiful, isn’t it? Sadly though, European Rollers have in recent years undergone moderately rapid declines across its global range and it is consequently considered Near Threatened. Scientists fear ... More About: Birds , Birding
Recent Birding
2010-06-29 08:46:00 From BirdLife Cyprus? bird recorder, some recent good birds that?ve been reported: Some good sightings reported, including lots of Nightjars: Meneou Pools, 27-Jun (SC) c20 Little Tern including 3 chicks and c7 eggs 3 Greater Sand Plover 5 Slender-billed Gull 6+ Audouin’s Gull Spyros Pool, 27-Jun (SC) Red-necked Phalarope 1 f (br plumage) 1 Marsh Sandpiper ... More About: Birding , Recent
Why Conserve Species?
2010-06-23 08:47:00 What is the importance of conserving species? Biodiversity refers to the diversity of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or the entire earth. When people speak of “conserving species,” they generally are referring to the goal of maintaining this diversity of life. Typically the first reason people think of for conserving species diversity is ...
Life, represented on a tree
2010-06-21 08:01:00 From David Hillis’ lab, and reproducible for non-commercial, educational purposes. (H/t PZ Myers) More About: Life , Evolution , Biophilia , Tree
Critical Conservation Sites Network Tool
2010-06-14 12:34:00 BirdBlogger just tweeted me towards an excellent conservation tool that is worth sharing (and permanently linking to). It’s the Critical Site Network Tool : The CSN tool has been… …jointly developed by Wetlands International, BirdLife International, and the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Center to deliver and map information on migratory waterbirds in the framework of the ... More About: Sites
Recent Birding
2010-06-09 08:46:00 From BirdLife Cyprus’ bird recorder, some recent good birds that’ve been reported: Here?s an interesting batch of sightings, received in recent days: Achna Dam, 9-Jun (ONi) 23 Black-crowned Night Herons 4 Cetti’s Warbler 1 Kestrel 3 Spur-winged Plovers (1 pair pairing) 35 Crested Larks 5 Coots 1 Little Grebe 1 Moorhen 2 males Black ... More About: Birding , Recent
Cyprus? Lost Forests
2010-06-06 15:04:00 While today forests fill 175,404 hectares or 19% of the area of Cyprus mostly in the mountains of the Paphos district in the western side of the island, historians and archaeologists suggest that Cyprus was once quite different. Cyprus was once characterized as ?Dasoessa,? meaning a place full of forests, and as ?a golden-green leaf ... More About: Lost , Biophilia
Meet the Birds
2010-05-30 09:20:00 This coming week, BirdLife Cyprus is hosting A Date with the Birds : ave you ever seen the birds through a telescope before? Have you ever observed their behavior and their colours with binoculars? If not, then come along to one (or both!) of the special ?Dates with birds? events being organized by BirdLife Cyprus as ... More About: Meet , Birding
Extinctions in the News
2010-05-26 18:03:00 Yes, I care. BirdLife International has announced, in the 2010 IUCN Red List update for birds, the extinction of Alaotra Grebe Tachybaptus rufolavatus. Restricted to a tiny area of east Madagascar, this species declined rapidly after carnivorous fish were introduced to the lakes in which it lived. This, along with the use of nylon gill-nets ... More About: News , In the News , The News
EU Failing to Protect Birds
2010-05-22 15:24:00 In a report published today by the RSPB and BirdLife International titled ?2010-Turning or Breaking Point for Europe?s Wildlife??, conservationists summarized the EU progress towards the 2010 biodiversity target as measured by 18 criteria spanning 10 major groups of indicators. Of 27 EU countries, only four nations “adequately” addressed 6 or more of the 18 ... More About: Conservation , Birds , Cyprus
Recent Birding
2010-05-22 08:46:00 From BirdLife Cyprus’ bird recorder, some recent good birds that’ve been reported: Marathounta, 21-May (CR) Marsh Harrier 1 fem. European Bee-eater 32 Great Spotted Cuckoo 1 juv (first of season?) Ayia Napa Sewage Works, 20-May (JS) 2m Black-headed Bunting and 1f with food in bill Achna Dam, 20-May (JS) Little Egret 8 Glossy Ibis 2 ... More About: Birding , Recent
A Community for BirdLife
2010-05-17 14:38:00 BirdLife International and it’s partner organizations do quite a lot for the global conservation of birds and habitats. Considering that we’re already caught in the age of extinction, that’s no small feat. Part of their task to preserve biodiversity made easier by how birds so easily capture our attention. But they, as with other NGOs, ... More About: Community , Conservation
Recent Birding
2010-05-16 18:46:00 From BirdLife Cyprus’ bird recorder, some recent good birds that’ve been reported: Spring migration is slowly drawing to a close, although some good birds were reported this week: Armou & Marathounta, 15 & 16-May (CR) European Bee-eater 60+ daily Kannaviou Dam & Forest, 15-May (fieldtrip) Squacco Heron 2 Masked Shrike 5 Cretzschmar?s Bunting 2m Black-headed ... More About: Birding , Recent
History of Griffon Vultures in Cyprus
2010-05-10 10:38:00 Kypros.org: Management and Conservation of the Griffon Vulture: The population of Griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) in Cyprus is decreasing from year to year. In some traditional nesting sites no more birds are seen. The black vulture Aegypius monachus is no longer breeds in Cyprus. This decrease was also observed in other European countries (Glutz et ... More About: History
Recent Birding
2010-05-09 08:46:00 From BirdLife Cyprus’ bird recorder, some recent good birds that’ve been reported: A selection of the week?s good birds: Armou, 9-May (CR) European Bee-eater 28 Roller 1 Tree Pipit 1 Whinchat 3 Woodchat Shrike 1 Cretzschmar?s Bunting 1m on territory Larnaca Sewage Works & Meneou Pools, 8-May (fieldtrip) Garganey 1m Ferruginous Duck 1 White-winged Tern ... More About: Birding , Recent
How Far Can They Go?
2010-05-08 15:32:00 A DC Birding Blog (Dendroica) – How Far Can a Bird Fly Nonstop During Migration? Recent studies using satellite telemetry or geolocators have shown that some bird species are capable of very long nonstop flight during migration, far longer than previously thought. Some of the longest belong to Bar-tailed Godwits, which have been tracked performing ...
Cyprus MP speaks out for raping biodiversity
2010-05-07 11:41:00 CYPRUS MAIL – Europe ?got it wrong? on bird law: DISY deputy for Famagusta Soteris Sampson has slammed the law that bans bird trapping with limesticks, and criticised the Cypriot authorities for allowing campaigners to remove illegal bird trapping equipment. Furthermore, he said, the law was the product of the European Union, but it is ... More About: Conservation , Cyprus
Trip Report ? 6 May 2010
2010-05-07 11:21:00 This is a trip report for our Cyprus Birding Tours. Target species: Primarily the Cyprus endemic species/subspecies We made a really good attempt to see the Scops Owl but they were elusive although we heard a couple at Troodos. We also got Barn Owl which I had told [our guest] was unlikely and saw at ... More About: Report , Trip
Ambelopoulia in Turkish-Occupied Cyprus
2010-05-06 09:55:00 This is part of the series of posts Poaching in Cyprus FAQ Is there any monitoring in the Turkish-occupied areas of northern Cyprus? With all the talk over ambelopoulia in the Greek side of Cyprus, we might forget that there is bird poaching in the north or Turkish-occupied side of Cyprus too. Sadly and to ... More About: Conservation
Violence and Crime in Cyprus
2010-05-03 10:17:00 Famagusta Gazette clipping: Several members of the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) have been attacked in the Ayios Mamas area of Paralimni (h/t The Bald Ibis) — A team of international bird conservationists from the German-based Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), who had just dismantled 30 limesticks and freed protected migrant species have been savagely ... More About: Crime , Conservation , Violence , Cyprus
Recent Birding
2010-05-02 08:46:00 From BirdLife Cyprus’ bird recorder, some recent good birds that’ve been reported: There are signs of renewed migration, including 1000s of Spotted, Collared & Pied Flycatchers, 100s of Golden Orioles and Wood Warblers passing through the island in the last few days: Ezousa Valley, Episkopi, 2-May (CR) Bonelli?s Eagle 2ads Red-footed Falcon 1m Common Sandpiper ... More About: Birding , Recent
Violent Defense of Crime by Maltese
2010-04-29 09:21:00 From our friends at BirdLife Malta : BirdLife volunteers assaulted as hunting illegalities increase — During the first week of Spring Watch, BirdLife Malta volunteers suffered several violent attacks on an almost daily basis while recording bird migration and reporting illegal hunting and trapping incidents to the police. At a press conference today, the organisation released ... More About: Crime , Defense
Exchanging Adverts
More articles from this author:2010-04-27 15:41:00 As noted previously, Jane Stylianou and I are leading personalized and competitive birdwatching tours in the Republic of Cyprus. We’re also looking to advertize with this logo on birding websites. We would happily personally lead anyone around the island for a time to show off our skills, and would also be happy to exchange adverts. ... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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