Big Garden Bird Watch 2019

Carrion Crow

One hour looking at the back garden yields 17 species:

Blackbird (1), House sparrow (2). Blue tit (3), Great tit (2), Long-tailed tit (1), Chaffinch (3), Dunnock (2), Robin (2), Wood pigeon (2), Carrion crow (2), Black cap (1), Coal tit (4), magpie (4), Feral pigeon (2), Willow tit (1), Wren (1), Goldfinch (1).

About RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch HERE

Magpie

Black cap (female)

And turning up a few minutes after the one hour session ended:

Scenes from the Anti-whaling Rally in London Today.

Several hundred protesters gathered on this cold wet winter's day in Cavenish Square in London and then - after speeches - marched down Regents Street (through throngs of bemused shoppers), around Piccadilly Circus, along Piccadilly to the Japanese Embassy. Here are some images.

And click HERE for a Blog explaining what this is all about. 

Protesters gather in the Square - here Team WDC being photographed

Two of the organizers - Peter Hall (black hat) and Dominic Dyer (in blue)

Veteran whale campaigner Stanley Johnston in mid-speach

Wil Travers OBE also speaking

Sixteen year-old Bella Lack addresses the rally

The march moves off

Massed outside the Japanese embassy

Why is the little midwinter badger looking so disgruntled?

It's cold. The little badger has ventured out from his warm den but when he gets to one of his favoured foraging spots (my back garden), he sits down and looks around. All is not as it should be.

Just a little earlier a stranger has been in the garden - here is the first image taken by the camera trap:

Enter the fox! Who eats well and leaves. Hence the unhappy badger.

The badger does his best to find what is left. He is not unsuccessful. 

Does is matter that Japan is leaving the International Whaling Commission?

Yes it does and if you tap on this link =  HERE are some reasons why.

Japan Announces it will leave the International Whaling Commission.

My Boxing Day Holiday (the UK celebration on December 26th) was interrupted by Japan's announcement that it will

i. leave the International Whaling Commission;
ii. stop whaling in the Southern Ocean; and
iii. continue whaling in the North Pacific.

You can find the statement issued  by Japan HERE

I did a series of TV interviews discussing this through the day and a couple have been preserved on the web and can be found

CNN HERE

CGTN HERE

Christmas Visits to Amsterdam and London

It has been many years since I have been to Amsterdam but I was just fortunate enough to visit. for a couple of days. The weather was wet and windy but the city is still fun and the public transport really great.

Whilst there I was privileged to be a guest at the awards ceremony for the Prince Claus awards.

Then I returned 'hot-foot' back to London for an event in the House of Lords.... 

Here are some photos:

Amsterdam has more canals than Venice - and many houseboats

Another canal view

The Rijksmuseum

An Amsterdam tram dressed up for Christmas - sadly without Father Christmas inside

A view of central station (itself looking rather like a palace)

A wonderful cheese ship just off Dam Square

The Royal Palace (lets go inside)

The People's Hall in the Royal Palace where the Prince Claus Awards ceremony is about to begin.

A detail of the wall of the People's Hall

Award winners from Brazil

Award winner from South Africa

Host of the Awards and Honorary Chair of the
Prince Claus Awards, Prince Constantijn 

More about the Prince Claus awards HERE.

And then to London.....

The Palace of Westminster

The Christmas tree in front of the House of Commons and
Ben Ben Tower wrapped in scaffolding and lights behind.

Inside Westminster Hall

Christmas travellers - St Pancras International Terminal

Costa Rican Wildlife 3 - Small Parrots

Small flocks of small parrots are common in the countryside of Costa Rica and also, remarkably and rather wonderfully, in the built-up zones around the capital city too.

Two species are featured here. The first series of pictures are of a flock of orange-chinned parrakeets and the second of their crimson-fronted cousins.

Silhouettes in the early morning light and mist.

These two really like each other - first one feeds his mate

Then there is a little preening

Soon, as the light and warmth from the sun increase, everyone is preening
and preparing for the day.

High above the busy streets of San Jose a small flock of crimson-fronted parakeets go about their noisy lives. They pause on the palm trees just outside my hotel window.

A youngster - lacking the red head-badge of his parents.

There is noise outside and the flock is scuttling around on the roof, and hanging off the drain-pipe actually peering into my room. The reflection from the window glass blurs the image but you get the idea!

Costa Rican Wildlife 2 - Out at Sea

On morning on the Pacific -

The Pacific Coast of Costa Rica

Pretty little islets

A 'flypast' of brown pelicans

Another close to shore

One iselet hosts a roost of seabirds

Magnificent frigate birds - juvenile with white heads

One in flight with its distinctive white tail.