Blue jays aren’t uncommon in southern Wisconsin, but I hardly ever see them. I’m not sure if that’s because they don’t like my part of the city, or they flit about so fast in the treetops that it’s difficult to spot them. Read more …
On our walk today, we passed something fluttering in the grass. It was a blackbird chick demanding to be fed. Its father — or some random adult male blackbird for all I know — complied. But he changed angles faster than I could change my focus. I had to take a picture anyway, since I’ve never seen a red-winged blackbird feeding … Read more
I’m back to bird-watching in Wisconsin. We went on a walk this afternoon and saw this beautiful chipping sparrow on top of a pile of brush that someone had set out at the curb. The chipping sparrow is identified by its orange cap, white eyebrow, and black eye-stripe that begins near its beak, runs past the eye, and ends at … Read more
This common brown lemur was chilling out with other members of its troop in Anjajavy forest a little before sunset. Check out its awesome hands and feet, which are capable of grasping.
The collared lizard gets its name from the black-and-white markings around its neck. Because some other Madagascar lizards have similar markings, they’re also occasionally called by the same name. So my guidebook prefers to head off any confusion by skipping the “collared” altogether and opting for the name Cuvier’s Madagascar swift.
Madagascar’s chameleons delight with their splendid color. But not its parrots. Both endemic parrot species, the Greater Vasa and Lesser Vasa, are gray. Nonetheless, they’re pretty neat. Read more …
Confession: I don’t know the name of this dragonfly. But it was too pretty not to share. Read more …
Moorhens (Gallinula chloropus) can be found throughout much of Africa, Europe and Asia, including Madagascar, where they prefer freshwater marshes. They don’t only look like a half-step between a chicken and a duck, they act a bit like it, too—walking like the former and swimming like the latter.
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We had to leave Isalo today, but before we did I got a final gift from nature in the form of this charming little three-eyed lizard, also known as the three-eyed iguanid or three-eyed iguana, because they were previously believed to be part of the iguana family. Read more …
We saw this gorgeous snake on our way into the forest today at Zombitse National Park. Unlike in Africa, where you have to know how to distinguish venomous snakes from non-venomous ones, in Madagascar you never need to worry.
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