Crossbills – whatever they are

The group of birds called crossbills are a most interesting group of finches. The top and bottom halves of the beak do, in fact, cross. I did an earlier page on crossbills but the taxonomy is so interesting I thought I’d add to the confusion. There are many populations oof crossbills some called subspecies andContinue reading “Crossbills – whatever they are”

The Falklands; Remote and Wonderful

The Falkland Islands are small and distant from most anywhere else on the planet. They are cold, often dreary, yet they attract about 20 times as many visitors annually as there are residents. Why? Because it is wild, remote, barren, and full of ocean-going birds and marine mammals. The nature people come here; in veryContinue reading “The Falklands; Remote and Wonderful”

A Tiny Visitor

Please regard all images as copyrighted and ask for permission to use any of them. thanks, DEC Throughout the summer we have had Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (RTHU)at the sugar-water feeders. They are brazen, confident, belligerent, and mechanically amazing. They chase each other with great vigor as they defend the food supply. They fly in and stop,Continue reading “A Tiny Visitor”

Big Bend Texas; a few birds

Texas is large and diverse. It isn’t all grassland and cattle. Much of it is dry and sparse; cattle aren’t happy in those places. In other spots it is rolling hills with evergreens and running water. The eastern side of this large state is either pine woods or coastal, with warm salt water. In stillContinue reading “Big Bend Texas; a few birds”