World Wetlands Day has its origins in the 1971 Convention of Wetlands and started to be celebrated officially in 1997 each February 2, the anniversary of the original convention. Since 2021, it has also been adopted by the United Nations. From the World Wetlands Day website comes the following information: Nearly 90% of the world’s … Continue reading World Wetlands Day
Growing up in Germany, I never thought about the dark, damp, and dismal weather that characterizes—oh, roughly 6-plus months out of each year. But that’s no longer true and if I had no family obligations, I would not spend late autumn or winter in central Europe. When we visited in November 2023, we hardly saw … Continue reading Remedy for the Winter Blues in Germany
I always claim that “my favorite bird is the one I’m looking at,” and though this statement is mostly true, it needs to be modified. While raptors and owls are majestic and imposing, their habit of eating other birds often leaves me feeling sad. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why I have always gravitated … Continue reading Colorful Throats
I am regularly reminded that I’m a mere baby birder. Case in point: Of the world’s 117 species of kingfishers, I have (so far) only seen 2. All kingfishers are members of the Alcedinidae family with 18 different genera. They are cosmopolitan in distribution, with most species occurring in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, … Continue reading King of the Fishers
When reviewing photos for my last post, “My Colorado Wildflower Year,” I also enjoyed seeing images of wildlife I encountered in 2023, and I thought you might, too. A few of these were included in previous posts; others I hope to incorporate into future ones. Astute readers will detect the omission of “Colorado” in this … Continue reading My Wildlife Year
tanja britton 