Birdwatching

BIRDS OF RUSSIAN FORESTS.


The Russian forest is the largest in the world.
Most of it is comprised of Taiga, 80% of the total areal where the bird species composition and distribution is relatively uniform due to the young age of this habitat.

the endless sea of conifers, consisting mostly of Siberian Larix sibirica and dahurian larches and siberian firs was formed after the most recent glaciations.

Most characteristic species of the Siberian forest avifauna probably evolved in the colder regions of eastern Siberia where many typical representatives, for instance, Black billed capercaille, and Siberian Spruce Grouse, can still be found.


All in all, there are 50 species more or less associated with the Siberian forest habitat.
However, the total number of breeding bird species is much higher due to the influence of surrounding areas like tundra and steppe and intrazonal wetlands.

The mixed forest, in particular those of Ussuriland, in the southern part of the Soviet far east are much richer in typical dendrophylic species.

Approximately the size of Britain, Ussuriland has more than 400 bird species recorded.
Ussuriland is quite unique in the variety of its forest, ranging from lush liana coveres riverine forest to the majestic coniferous taiga on the mountain ranges of Sikhote LIN;

BIRDERS VISITING THIS REGION WOULD BE FACINATED BY THE INCREDIBLE, mixture of southern, subtropical and even tropical bird species living side by side with northern and Siberian species.
This region hosts an impressive number of forest birds......and some of which are shown here.....

FULVOUS BABBLER.


Babblers of the genus Rurdoides resemble small thrushes in appearance and size, with a generally brownish coloir, short wings, a long graduated tail, well developed feet and a rather stout curved bill.
They are normally birds of open, often sandy, deserts, semi deserts and dry river plains, with scatterd trees anf bushes.



Typically, the vegetation includes date palms, mimosa, tamarisk and lower growing plants sutch as astericus and, especially, awn grass.
Markedly gregarious in habit, babblers usually occur in families or even groups of families of up to a dozen birds or more.

Babblers frequently cooperate, especially when foraging but also during the rearing of young.Wher members of the group assist the current breeding pairs and delay their own breeding activities.
The genus Turdoifrs is represented by four species in the Western Palearctic, Iraq Babbler and from India through Southern Afghanistan into S-Iran,Arabian, Jordan, Sinai and Central Africa.

Four subspecies of Fulvius Babbler, are recognized based essentially, ondifference in plumage colour, size and bill structure.
My observation, is on the subspecies T F maroccanus during early May in two very widely separated areas of Morocco the arid sand and stone deserts of the Fafilalt region, near the town of Erfoud in the extreme S-east of the country, and the comparatively fertile and partly cultivated broad plain of the Qued Sous, inland from the coastel town af Agadir, in the west.

Between these two localiries in the desert and semi desert country S- of the High Atlas, the bird is found as a widespread and not uncommon resident.
Breeding in Morocco at least, may take place at almost any time of the year, with young birds having seen as late as November. These birds spent their time foraging in rhe scattered eucalyptus and other trees, shrubs and bushes, including the introduced tobacco nicotina glauca; along the margins of the river and its side wadis, but were not seen on the ground, when not calling, they were surprisingly difficult to locate, moving from one piece of cover to another on typically outstretched wings in long gliding flights.

The adult birds spent most of their time on the ground....looks like the North American Roadrunner.

CLEAN UP FIELDS


Barn Owls (Tyto alba) and Common Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) are being encouraged by farmers in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian authority to control agricultural pest instead of using harmful chemicals. The two species provide round the clock predation of mice, rats and voles and have been used throughout history as natural pest controllers. A pair of Barn Owls alone can eat over 2.000 rodents in a year.




Israel is very important for birds of prey, raptors living here year round are joined by migrants which soar through on thermals in the spring, and birds which stay the winter. In 1997 large numbers of raptors were accidentally poisoned in Israel's Bet she'an and Hulas valleys after eating prey which contained harmful levels of pesticides.



We need an alternative to using chemicals, and knew that Barn Owls and Common Kestrels two of the most abundant raptors living in Israel have been used as agricultural pest controllers around the world. However, modern development has reduced the number of suitable nest sites available in barns, attics and deserted buildings. This was easily remedied by proving nest boxes which were eagerly inhabited by the birds.



The first boxes were erected for Barn Owls of an environmentally friendly kibbutz sde eliyahu(common farm) in the betshe'an valley. Boxes have now been peppered throughout the vally, and 70% are occupied by owls. Estimate that Barn Owls are removing at least 80.000 rodents from bet she'an's fields each year. This has ensured a reduction in the damage pesticides cause to people, soil, water, wildlife and migrating birds.

The successful project was soon expanded to also include Common Kestrels, with nesting boxes erected throughout Israel. Kestrels hunt during the day and Barn <owls at night. This constant 24 hour threat of predation has caused changes in the pest's behaviour and resulting in less crop damage.

During 2005-2008 the project was expanded beyond the borders of Israel, and 37 nesting boxes were erected in Jordanian fields to the east of the Jordan River. In the Muslim tradition, Barn Owls symbolize bad luck and many of the jordanian farmers were hesitanr to cooperate at first. Once a few jordanian farmers used Barn Owls instead of chemical pesticides with tremendois success, others were quick to follow suit and were proud of the Barn Owls attracted to their fields by the nesting boxes.

The success of using birds of prey to control rodents now continues to go from strength to strength. In Israel the General Directors of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environmental Protection decided to promote a three year national project (2008-2010) using Barn Owls and Common Kestrels countrywide.... Let hope the next country will Be.........??????

FROM.....

GREDOS POACHING RING BUSTED.....


48 People have been arrested for alleged involvement with a poaching network in the GREDOS mountains of central Spain.
The group provided à poaching safari service, Trading customers to shoot big game in the National Park and other protected areas in Spain.
Customers would pay up to 5.000 euros to kill an animal under the cover of darkness and later receive the stuffed trophy.
Police also confiscated a number of firearms, high tech surveillance equipment and over 350 tprohies; including ibex,roe deer, red deer, fallow deer, chamois, wild boar, and wolves.....



PLIGHT OF THE REED BUNTING......

The Reed Bunting has been named BIRD OF THE YEAR.
Highlight the pligh of only two subspecies of this bird nesting in Spain and which could soon become extinct.
Whilst the wintering population of the subspecies of Reed Bunting from Europe is deemed healthy, the two resident subspecies may only number 400 pairs spread across many small fragmented sites.
In Catalonia and the Balearies the nesting population of Reed Bubtings has fallen by 80% in the last decade, and it has diappeared from Asturias, Castilla y Leon, Comunidad Valenciana, Murcia and Andalucia.
The extensive use of agrochemicals on crops next to reed beds is thought to be a major contributing factor to the decline....


IBERIAN LYNX'S SEX DRIVE GOES ON RECORD...

Lynx in El Acebuche captive breeding programme in Donana National Park recently came into heat and biologists were able to record the short but intense mating behaviour.
Females are receptive for one week only between january and february and copulate up to 80 times in 48 hours, thus almost guaranteeing pregnancy.
Sex drive hormone levels are 35 times higher in Iberian Lynx than in other wild cats for reasons that are unclear, although it is thought that it may be a response to low genetic variability in a shrinking population....

Hunting in the Middle East has been recognised as a major threat to one of the world's most threatened bird the Socialble Lapwing. A joint survey mission have uncovered new dangers in SYRIA to Sociable Lapwing.

Alarming news shows that critically endangered S-Lapwing have been shot by hunters in north east SYRIA, one of the birds most important migration sites.


Conservationists from Europe, Africa and Asia are attending a sociable Lapwing meeting in Kazakhstan and newly identified threat will be top of the delegates' agendas.

The birds migrate through the region between their north east African wintering areas and the bird's only nesting site in the central Asian steppe grasslands, principally Kazakhstan.
The bird's winterin ground have only been recently confirmed when a tracking project tracked the movements of birds from Kazakhstan to Sudan. The species is thought to have declined by 90% since the 1990s the world population of this bird is now thought to number no more than 11.200 individuals....