Many of you will no doubt recall that I recently reviewed the above book here.      The earlier post would have been more complete had I included information about how to obtain the book.      Dr de Scally took a conscious decision to eschew the normal route of selling on Amazon as a means to support Canadian booksellers, even though this makes distribution more difficult. Perhaps there are those among you who are also avoiding Amazon as a protest against restrictions on editorial independence.      The book i ..read more

14 March 2025      As the snow receded at home Snowdrops (family Amarycillidae) were visible and brought us great joy. We couldn't resist bringing a few into the house, where they remained vibrant for a surprisingly long time.      We didn't plant these flowers so how they got there is a bit of a mystery, but we are glad that they did.      They are exquisite, don't you think? Hillside Park      A female Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) hitched up a tree; earlier she had been jousting with another female, so hormon ..read more

 09 March, 2025      Winter is slowly relaxing its grip and the mountains of snow are receding. All around there are indications that spring is just around the corner; it is even in the air. Daytime temperatures are consistently above freezing, with cold nights - perfect for tapping maple trees for sweet sap to be boiled down to maple syrup. Who does not rejoice at the prospect of fresh syrup on a hot pancake?       A Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) was doubtless as happy as we were to welcome mild weather, with the prospect of easier access to prey ..read more

      In 2021 I read the highly entertaining account of a Ph.D student undertaking research in a foreign country under difficult circumstances, when I enjoyed  Jonathan Slaght's Owls of the Eastern Ice.        It was with great delight, therefore, that I was made aware of a similar autobiographical work by a distinguished Canadian academic. The difference in the two books is that Slaght's is written contemporaneously, whereas de Scally writes from the lofty perch of deep memory, aided by meticulous notes. The memoir suffers not at all by the lapse ..read more

 "Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter." Rachel Carson 12 January, 2025 La Selva Mar - Parque Nacional Carara  - Río Tarcoles      La Selva Mar has an interesting way of grouping the little "pods" of cabins, divvying them up into countries.      It is always a pleasure for me to spend time in Cuba!      Here is the unit w ..read more

       I think it is safe to say that snakes do not rank high on the roster of most people's favourite animals. The fact that they slither probably has something to do with it; a talking snake in a mythical Garden of Eden foretelling eternal retribution probably doesn't help either.      But the truth is, they are fascinating animals, widespread and breathtaking in their diversity, and a functional component of healthy ecosystems. Some snakes, such as Brown House Snake, are welcomed into houses and outbuildings due to their unrivalled skill in dispatching r ..read more

      It sometimes seems that barely a day goes by without the publication of another field guide to birds - or even butterflies, wildflowers and trees - yet mammals are receiving short shrift in this explosion of literature. This is especially true of bats, so it was with extra pleasure that I received this book.      It is yet another exceptional volume in the "Lives of" series by Princeton University Press, always scholarly, always accessible and authored by experts in their field.      Bats have universally had a bad rap. This volume will ..read more

      Over the last two or three years my familiarity with sharks has grown exponentially, thanks primarily to books published by Princeton University Press, and a couple of well executed TV documentaries.      Daniel C. Abel has become a trusted, authoritative figure in this quest, and it was with pleasure that I saw that he had co-authored this book with Sophie A. Maycock. Abel writes with a fluid style that is pleasing to read, communicating science in a manner accessible to the layman, the primary audience for a book of this nature, yet losing not one s ..read more

11 January, 2025 Las Cruces - Rice Fields at Las Pangas- Selva Mar Hotel, Punta Leona      We had enjoyed our stay at Las Cruces, with many exciting sightings, but it was time to move on.      Just before departure we located this colony of stingless bees in the genus Tetragonisca.      The more exposure I have to these insects the more they fascinate me. In addition to the guard bees seen above, they line their nest entrance with resin. The resin emits an odour which deters potential predators such as ants, or creates a sticky trap which captu ..read more

10 January, 2025 Las Cruces - Cabañas Palmira - Las Cruces - Aviva Orgánica      We left Las Cruces at 06h:00 to travel to Cabañas Palmira where we hoped to find Turquoise Cotinga (Cotinga ridgwayi), a prospect to make a birder's heart flutter.      Early morning is the best time to locate the bird; hence our departure with the rising sun. As it turned out we found the bird almost instantly, much to everyone's delight.      It was never in a great position for photographs, often deep in the foliage, but Victoria managed these very acceptable images ..read more