WHitehawk Birding blog
Welcome to the Whitehawk Birding Blog! Here we share fun birding and nature facts and news in posts that we hope you find of interest. We hope you enjoy!
-
Watching Barbary Macaques in northern Morocco
Barbary Macaques (Macaca sylvanus) can be found in Morocco and Algeria. There is a small population in Gibraltar as well. They are the only species of primate to inhabit Europe beside humans. Barbary Macaque numbers have shrunk over the years due to habitat loss and persecution. Today, most of them survive in small and increasingly…
-
Wildlife photography: a tool for research & conservation
Today I received an e-mail with some information regarding a Black Kite that I saw in Tarifa. The Black Kite had a wing tag. It is a piece of plastic with an alphanumeric code that is attached to the wing of the bird. I promptly took several pictures of it. It was nearly impossible to…
-
Petrels, Albatrosses & Storm-Petrels of North America
Steve N. G. Howell is certainly one of the best-known ornithologists and one of the most versatile. One example of this is the wide variety of books he has written on different groups of birds such as: Gulls of the Americas, Hummingbirds of North America: The Photographic Guide, Peterson Reference Guide to Molt in North…
-
Post-fledging behavior and prey of the Solitary Eagle
With just a few nests discovered to date, the Solitary Eagle (Harpyhaliaetus solitarius) is one of the least known birds of prey in the world. As such, there is very little information on the ecology and behavior of the Solitary Eagle at any stage in their lives. In 2009, our team of biologists was working…
-
The Birdman of Alcatraz
One day, a nest full of young birds fell from a tree into a courtyard. There was nothing extraordinary about the event – it happens every day all over the world. Sometimes the birds gets rescued, but more often than not, they go unnoticed and they either survive or they don’t. But on that particular…
-
Ageing Vultures in Spain
Spain is home to four species of vultures including the Egyptian Vulture, Eurasian Griffon, Cinereous Vulture and Lammergeier. It is a fantastic place to observe these majestic birds. Of all of them, the Eurasian Griffon is the most abundant species. In fact, its numbers have increased over the past few years, and Spain is home to…
-
The Honey Buzzard Migration
Having the opportunity to spend long periods of time in strategic places for watching migrating birds is priceless for any birder. The spectacle of migration is something that happens almost continuously throughout the year in the Strait of Gibraltar. The peaks of activity are mainly in August and September during the fall migration. Then again…
-
Last Child in the Woods
For someone who loves birds, wildlife, travel, or just spending time outdoors, it might be hard to imagine a life without enjoying the splendors of nature. Our lives would seem void without the calming sound of a creek. We can’t imagine not enjoying the colorful flight of a bird, or the intoxicating scent of pine…
-
Into the Wild Desert: Merzouga
One of the best places to enjoy desert avifauna is Merzouga. For most people, the desert represents one of the final frontiers. They might see it as a lifeless place of harsh extremes. But nothing is further from reality. It is true that the fauna in deserts is less abundant than in other ecosystems. However,…