Monthly Archives: December 2020

In Praise of the Treecreeper

One great advantage of the winter months is the disappearance of all those pesky leaves. As a result, treecreepers in particular seem to appear from nowhere. That doesn’t mean they’re necessarily obvious though; while they’re quite common, their resemblance to … Continue reading

Posted in Germany, Nature, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Zamenis longissimus

Z is for Zamenis longissimus (“the longest tetchy one”), or Aesculapian snake. The scientific name is rather unfair, as it’s nonvenomous and quite pacific in its habits, and it was encouraged to live in the temples of Aesculapius in ancient … Continue reading

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Yellowhammer

Y is for Yellowhammer. Wikipedia provides us with another gem: “The pine bunting and yellowhammer are so closely related that each responds to the other’s song. The male yellowhammer’s song is more attractive to females, and is one reason for … Continue reading

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X-rated

X is for X-Rated Damselflies.

Posted in Advent, Nature, Slovakia | 3 Comments

White Stork

W is for White Stork. These two are understandably pleased to see one another.

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Vulture

V is for Vulture. This Turkey Vulture is helpfully displaying the characteristic feature of New World vultures: the lack of a septum between the nostrils.

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Upland Goose

U is for Upland Goose. As in some other species, according to Wikipedia, “Males attract females through a courtship display in which they whistle loudly, to which the female responds with softer cackles.”

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Tree Sparrow

T is for Tree Sparrow, second in our miniseries of underrated birds. A symphony in brown.

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Starling

S is for Starling, one of the most underrated birds. Individually gorgeous, and they murmurate!

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Rhino

R is for Rhino. Also rear.

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