This Gallinula chloropus was taking a bath in the London WWT centre, which is definitely worth a visit. Although regionally extinct in Equatorial Guinea, the species is not under major threats in other areas. I’d love to write such words more often!
A few weeks ago I spent a handful of days in the south of France. This Phoenicopterus roseus and its hundreds of kin were foraging in the Parc Ornithologique Pont de Gau near Montpellier. The species is threatened by pollution in the water and shriking wetlands.
I think Half-Earth is such a wonderful idea. Homo sapiens should stay in restricted areas and be limited in numbers (birthcontrol), and all the millions of other species get back their space.
Admire the feet of Fulica atra. The species suffers from several threads: hunting, wetland drainage, oil pollution, and drowning in fishing nets, to name but a few. Biggest enemy: Homo sapiens. This one though was fairly safe in Regent’s Park, London.
This Circus aeruginosus was flying over the reeds of Otmoor, an RSPB reserve. The species is facing threats like shooting and in Otmoor in particular habitat loss because some nitwits want to build another road in the area. If you’re like me not happy with this and you live in the UK or are a Brit, please consider signing this petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/217244 Thank you!
This Himantopus himantopus was looking for food in Neusiedler See, Austria. I’ve only ever seen them in that area, but apparently the species is doing OK.
Ducks are brilliant, and this Aythya ferina which I saw on the Danube in Austria last spring is no exception. The species is classified as vulnerable.
Numbers are declining because of loss of breeding habitat (marshes) and bad water quality (too much fertilizer in the water because of bad agricultural management).
Earlier this year, I was extremely happy to ID this Acrocephalus schoenobaenus by ear. I also love the insect on the bird’s back, which I only discovered when after a day out at Otmoor I looked through my photos.
