Another #photography highlight from 2023, watching this #bluetit vigorously defend his territory from his own reflection in the windows and mirrors of a car.
Another warbler yesterday, this one a Cape May. I've been cleaning out my flooded home, and took a breather at a local park. Watching these beautiful little birds dashing around nonstop is an amazing distraction from my little piece of climate chaos, keeping in mind that they are paying a higher price for our mess than we are. At least they don't have to deal with insurance companies! #nature #NaturePhotography #birds #Wildlife #naturecommunity #photography #birding #birdphotography #warbler#songbird
A Birijita del Pinar/Olive-capped Warbler (Setophaga pityophila)that hopped up to my friend's feet, while collecting nest material. The Cuban name refers to their habitat, usually high up in pine woods. These insectivores are only found in two isolated spots on the east and west ends of Cuba, as well as Abaco and Grand Bahama islands. They nest from March-June in pine trees. Although they are fairly common where they occur, their restricted range puts them at risk. #nature#NaturePhotography#birds#Wildlife #naturecommunity#photography#birding #birdphotography #warbler#songbird#Cuba#Cubanwildlife#biodiversity
The first sighting of a #Greenfinch on the reserve at #WWTCastleEspie for many a long year.
This species has been having a hard time recently. Could they be recolonising? 🤞🏻
Friend, #AlbertBates wrote this: "Cats have contributed to the #extinction of 63 species of birds, mammals, and #reptiles in the wild and continue to adversely impact a wide variety of other species, including 124 at risk of extinction, such as Piping Plover. Feral and domestic cats kill an estimated 1.3 to 3.7 billion birds and 6.3 to 22.3 billion mammals annually in the US every year, where #songbird populations continue to decline.
2.48 million tons of raw fishery products go to the cat food industry per year. Add dry pet food & 13.5% of the total 39 million tons of wild caught forage fish is eaten by pets. It may seem innocuous because these are considered, at least by the fisherman, as “waste products,” but in fact, that by-catch is a critical food source in the marine food chain. There is a vast, unseen genocide underway. We are destroying the oceans to feed Tabby." https://peaksurfer.blogspot.com/2019/05/what-is-your-climate-pawprint.html #cats#catsofmastodon#pets#dogs#dogsofmastodon
Male American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) displaying at the Marine Nature Study Area in Oceanside, NY. The bird seemed to be foraging, but combined this with a zig-zag stroll, fanning out its tail and prancing some 20 meters up a woodland trail all the way to my feet!
Update: I was informed by an ornithologist colleague that they do this to flush their insect prey.