Urban nature photography

I love this...

Welcome, Spring!

Pigeon-toed duck

This handsome fellow was born last spring in our neighborhood pond. Being pigeon-toed myself, I really dig him.

Love is in the air

This morning on my way to the bus stop I noticed two mated pairs of tufted ducks in our neighborhood pond. I'm really excited to see them, because last year they came to the pond to have their chicks and then left as soon as their offspring became independent. I expect they've returned for the same reason this year. I'll be following them closely over the next few weeks to see if I can spot any signs of their nesting. More soon.

Tufted ducks (or, Aythya fuligula, their unpronouncable Latin name) are such pretty birds, with their little golden eyes and jaunty, feathery tufts. And so fun to watch as they dive! The chicks are possibly the cutest in the world--little round black fluff balls with boundless energy. It was amazing last year to watch them learn to dive by trial and error.

Have a look at this video I found on YouTube that shows the diving action:

Don't mess with a Dune Ant

As I mentioned previously, survival against the harshest imaginable conditions was a constant theme for us during our visit to Namibia. Well, not for us as well looked after tourists, but certainly for the all of the wildlife around us. We were constantly awed at what we learned about the ingenious survival techniques of desert dwellers. And not only must the animals be incredibly resourceful, but tough, tough, tough.

Take the Dune Ant. Every time I photographed one, after one or two snaps, the insect would sense me and, rather than scurrying away, actually stop its activities to look up at me and cock its sharp mandibles menacingly. As if to say, "Hey! Hey! Yeah, you, the papa-frickin-razzi. I'm workin' here. We ain't all on vacation. Get that lens outa my face before I bite your ass."

After coming home I read a bit more about the Dune Ant, and I'm even more impressed. They actually herd scale insects like livestock in order to milk their sugary secretions. And, according to a short description I read on PBS.org, they can navigate by the angle of the sun and "in order to limit water loss, they breathe in short rapid bursts." They also fiercely defend their nests and will fight intruders to the death, pinning a rival ant to the hot sand to cook it alive. Wow.

Have a look at this video courtesy of Animal Planet which explains more about this tenacious ant. And click the photos for a better, close up view.

Leopard, Namibia

Chin up, it's almost spring

Rain again today. Scott's in the office again today. I decided that in spite of those two less than ideal circumstances, I would have a nice day. I headed over to Kew Gardens to see if spring is here yet. Not bad. Definitely wet and chilly, but a good two hour walk always lifts the spirits and there were plenty of late winter flowers coming up.

There was still a good bit of ice on the pond I visited, but melting in such a beautiful way I wound up taking photo after photo of the water's surface. There was also a warm & steamy orchid exhibit which made me feel so happy. Click to enlarge the photos...

Namibia, day 1

On our first day in Namibia we rented a truck in Windhoek and drove about 2 hours southwest from the capital to a small lodge to spend our first night before venturing further afield for the rest of out 10 day road trip. Beautiful drive. Incredibly hot, unbelievably dry. So dry you actually don't sweat--any moisture evaporates instantly. In fact by the end of the first day I had a pounding headache from dehydration. The rest of the trip we drank around 3 liters or more each per day.

After four years in London, I guess I've come to take water for granted. If anything, the English climate has turned water, in my imagination, into an ever present, gloomy, drizzly weight that must be endured for endless stretches with a scowl and an upturned collar. A roadblock to wearing my new high heeled turquoise suede ankle boots. A compelling excuse to skip morning runs and therefore a contributing factor to my body's modest but nonetheless alarming new tendency toward muffin top in the absence of regular cardio. All of these unpleasant things, rather than the precious stuff of life it is most everywhere else.

So it was humbling to notice, when we stopped our truck so I could hop out and open a wooden gate to allow our vehicle to drive into the lodge on a dusty, heat emitting road, a swarm of tiny purple butterflies coating a patch on the ground. Why? Because upon closer inspection, I realized they had gathered to lick a faintly moist patch in the sand, most likely deposited by a leaky vehicle that had stopped previously in this same spot to open the gate.

A hundred tiny creatures, whipping their little tongues at the dampness. This was life or death for them. I immediately poured half of my water bottle onto the ground, hoping to give them a party.

Most of them scattered as soon as I approached and started taking pictures...only a handful of brave (or extra thirsty) ones stayed behind. Click to enlarge...notice the little guy coming in for a landing to the right in photo four below.

When birds attack

I birdwatch from my desk. My office is in a leafy part of town, surrounded by trees, shurbs, and therefore birds. I sit opposite a bank of tall windows, so I can observe bird activity all day long. There is even a family of thrushes living in a tree outside our conference room, and lately I find myself distracted during meetings, as the birds have built a nest and are now rearing chicks.

Yesterday evening, I was leaving the office and I saw a dark fluttering form on the path ahead--a bird. I was immediately filled with dread--at the end of a long day I was going to have to cancel the drink with Scott and friends I was headed to, and instead call the RSPCA animal rescue hotline and wait with the injured bird until someone arrived to transport it to a vet.

As I got nearer, I realized there were two birds, one on top of the other. Oh, great. Even more complicated. Now I'd have to wait with the injured bird and its panicked mate, soaking in their avian heartbreak-melodrama-tragedy--it was just too much.

But as I got even closer, the picture changed. I now realized it was a male sitting on the chest of another male which was dead. The live bird was pecking out the dead bird's eyes! The dead bird's little wiry feet were sticking straight out in front of it, like you'd see in a cartoon. The killer was so engrossed in its activity it did not move even when I eventually walked past! It just kept pecking and pecking. I've never seen anything like it!

A little research on the RSPB web site reveals that what I saw was most likely the result of a territorial dispute:

Male blackbirds establish a territory during their first year, which they will hold throughout their lives. The territory is essential for pair formation and nesting, although only a part of the food is obtained from within it.

Territory size varies depending on the habitat, and can be as small as 0.2 ha. Territory boundaries break down when the last broods have fledged and adults moult. During this period, territorial drive is low, and many birds will feed outside their territories at abundant food sources.

Territories are re-established in the late autumn, and from spring until July they are defended against all other blackbirds.

Signs of Spring part iii

Walking in Bermondsey today, which is not a place you expect to see green things, I spied a pair of magpies in a tree (the only tree on the street) building a nest. They had a mass of twigs of similar lengths & widths and were in the process of weaving them into a secure nest with their beaks. One would jump back every so often, onto an adjacent branch, as if to size up their progress. Amazing to watch!

Curious about what I saw, did a bit of Googling and came up with some interesting info. According to various bird sites I consulted:

"Both birds build the large nest, which can take several weeks to complete, from small branches and twigs, and line it with mud and vegetation. The nest is usually in a large tree (but sometimes in pylons) and domed to prevent predation by other crows, but some birds do not bother."

Also in the spring, "large numbers of Magpies often gather to resolve territorial conflicts and social standing. These gatherings are called parliaments."

On a related note, "breeding magpies hold a territory of about five hectares (12 acres) all year round. Because nest sites are limited, between 25% and 60% of magpies in an area do not breed."

So not only were these two quite skilled builders, they belong to a small breeding subset amongst celibate peers.

Signs of Spring continued

Some images from Kew Gardens from last weekend:

I love a kestrel

A clip from my new favorite TV show, on BBC2--Earth Pilgrim, with Satish Kumar. Check out the amazing kestrel starting around 1:10.

Signs of Spring

Spotted today while seated at my desk:

• a bird gathering twigs to build a nest in a tree outside my window -- observed for about 20 minutes making multiple trips from ground where it collected materials in its beak up to its perch
  
• a Buff-tailed Bumblebee queen buzzing clumbsily around my window. According to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, fertilized queens are often among the first bumble bees to appear in spring, searching out a suitable place to start the new colony. They are commonly seen in late February/early March after having hibernated in a hole in the ground or under moss for the winter.
  
• two of the many lady bugs who hibernated in our office this winter waking up and diving into coworkers' computer screens (they were escorted outside)

Botswana & Zimbabwe

Just realized that I never posted any of our pictures from Botswana LAST YEAR. In case you are still interested, here goes:

Sandibe Lodge, Okavango Delta (click here & select slideshow for larger view):



Savuti Lodge, Okavango Delta (click here & select slideshow for larger view):



Chobe National Park (click here & select slideshow for larger view):



Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (click here & select slideshow for larger view):

Sri Lanka

Just back from an inspiring two weeks in Sri Lanka. A fuller post with photos in the coming days, but here's a little preview from the Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve, where we spent a few days birdwatching. These speedy leeches could be found everywhere (including attached to my leg sucking my blood):

Safari!

Amazing time in South Africa, Botswana & Zimbabwe. More pictures coming shortly.

April Fool's!

Welcome Spring and War Pigs

Today brought the first sun we've seen in England in months: short but delicious bursts of sun punctuating an otherwise impassive cloud cover. And the rain stopped long enough for the slate paving in our garden to dry. This convergence of good fortune lured us outside for a while to observe a variety of spring activities underway all around us:

Male jays, tits, robins and blackbirds battling one another to impress the ladies. A solitary daisy growing out of the lawn. Lady bugs gathered on a fence. A white tailed bumble bee queen searching along the planting beds for a place to set up her colony. Pear and apple blossoms soaking up the intermitent sun. And, new visitors--a beautiful pair of goldfinches at our feeders.

It's been a long, dreary, rainy winter. I can't begin to describe how numbing and depressing it's been. Interminable rain. Skies so heavy and low you slump to avoid them. A damp, penetrating cold that no amount of tea, or wool, or upturned collars can ward off.

When we last lived in New York, I regularly prepared for my morning subway commute by cranking this before leaving the house:



This morning, perhaps out of disdain for the climate, we turned to vintage Black Sabath. I've always felt a place's climate shapes the kind of music produced there. It couldn't be more true here. Despite it being 7:45 am, the music somehow felt cheery; it at least gives you a sense of having a fighting chance against the gloom:

A-OK

I'm happy to report that Henry is back to his gregarious self. We stopped by the pond first thing Saturday morning to check on him. He was busy nibbling greens along the bank and bobbing for aquatic grasses with his adopted sibling.

Henry Update

Just drove down to the pond to check on Henry.

I had been putting it off all day, mostly because I expected to find him worse than yesterday and I wasn't sure what could be done. I spent some time online today trying to gather some information on common duck ailments (there are many, including an unfortunate condition known as bumblefoot--don't ask) and whether there is any nearby organization that aids sick waterfowl (none that I could find). In short, it wasn't looking hopeful.

Thankfully, I found Henry in good spirits. I watched him for a little while and he seemed ok. He was preening himself along with other ducks on the bank. He was a lot more energetic than yesterday, shaking his tail vigorously several times, stretching his legs, and preening under both wings. I'll try to go back tomorrow.

But in the course of reading today, I've learned that it is REALLY bad to feed ducks. I always thought it was ok as long as you fed them whole grain bread or things like barley and corn. While it's true that that's at least better than non-nutritious white bread, it's still not as good for them as what they'd eat in the wild. And feeding can lead to ducks being overly aggressive with one another, can delay or discourage migration, can lead to overpopulation, makes ducks lose their fear of people, and can rob young of the chance to learn to find food on their own.

I guess I sort of knew all of that. I am considering not feeding the local ducks anymore, but I wonder--aren't they so tame at this point that they need to be fed? And, it's a pretty large group of ducks, and the pond is on the town green, rather than in the woods which would give it a more robust ecosystem. I wonder if there's enough for them to survive on without handouts. I think this requires some more research. Any advice is welcome!