Powered By Blogger

3 April 2020

Sidestepping Covid-19... Part 6 - India


Today's image is from India, and yes - I could have picked from a number of gaudy options. Alas, as my two favourite birding families in the world are Antpittas and Larks, you can expect to be blown away by browns and beiges. Indeed, my main reason for this specific image isn't just that it is a lark, but that it was also my first lifer of 2020 (only 5 in total so far). Since it appears unlikely I am going to get many, if any more lifers this year - the significance is somewhat greater.

Sykes's Lark, Dholpur, Rajasthan. 2020.

A high resolution version of this image is available on my Shutterstock page.

31 March 2020

Sidestepping Covid-19... Part 5 - Puerto Rico

Continuing with the Caribbean thread - I have been to the Caribbean a number of times, visiting Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic on at least three occasions. I had seen all the available extant endemics and near endemics (ie: Cuban Kite and Zapata Rail don't make the list as they are either very rare and isolated, or a complete enigma). However, I had failed to visit Puerto Rico - and consequently my Greater Antillean puzzle was a piece short. I had been scheduled to lead a tour to the island in 2015, but limited client interest meant that if I was to go - I would have to do so myself.

I spent all of 6 days in Puerto Rico, racing about twitching every island endemic - spending most nights sleeping in the back of the car. The bird I wanted the most was Puerto Rican Tody. The Tody's are a small family of 5 species endemic to the Caribbean. These tiny colourful jewels - related to kingfishers can be surprisingly confiding when you find them (in Old World terms, they behave somewhat similarly to Batises). Near enough the very first bird I saw on the island was indeed my last Tody, alongside a hatful of other endemics at Camberlache State Forest.

Puerto Rican Today, Camberlache, Puerto Rico. 2015.

A high resolution version of this image is available on my Shutterstock page.