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- ABC News An increasing number of people are visiting deserts to explore them, marvel at the beauty of the landscape, and experience the serenity of the environment. A recent ABC News article highlighted the trend of desert tourism, focusing on the popular destination of Joshua Tree National Park in California. The article discussed the park's offerings, such as its stunning rock formations, its unique Joshua trees, and its vast array of wildlife. It also highlighted the park's accessibility, with easy access from nearby cities like Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The article also discussed the impact of desert tourism on the environment, noting that the park is working to protect its fragile ecosystems from the influx of visitors. It also discussed the potential of the area for ecotourism, with a range of activities such as camping, hiking, and stargazing. The article concluded with a look at the ways in which desert tourism can benefit local communities, noting that it can create jobs and provide economic opportunities.
When the sun beats down with anger - 10,000 Birds
The outside temperature in the shade reads 47 degrees Celsius and I’m about to enter a hide to photograph birds. At times like these, I question my sanity. But I keep coming back for more. It was only two weeks ago that I was on a bleak moor on Shetland and now I wish that I had the cool temperatures, the cloud and the rain that I had moaned about then. This is central Spain instead, and I am well into the worst time of year for birds. For three months, often more, temperatures here are in the forties Celsius and there is no rain. The ground is parched, the plants are yellow and dry and many birds are clearing out. Many of the Black Kites now heading south are juveniles. The clean plumage and scaly pattern on the back are diagnostic Already in the Strait of Gibraltar, to the south, the Black Kites Milvus migrans, are leaving south for Africa. These are the Iberian populations. They were the first to arrive, in February and early March, so as to make the most of the mild temperatures and the food supply which becomes available with the rains. They time breeding so that the chicks are fledged before the height of the dry season. Now, they head for south of the Sahara to catch the rains in the Sahel. Black Kites, and many other Iberian birds, spend their lives tracking the rains on either side of the Sahara Desert. This makes the idea of spring-summer-autumn-winter redundant. Instead, much of central and southern Iberia experiences an intense hot and dry season, from June to September, and a wet season. The onset of the rains is highly variable. Where I live, in Gibraltar, it may start some time in September but some years it may be after Christmas. The pattern in the past few years has been for the rains to arrive late. Adult Black Kites have just finished breeding and their plumage is abraded Many Black Kites are in moult while on migration. Note the new tail feathers sprouting in this individual giving the effect of a “double tail” Time to go. Black Kites heading south for Africa What do birds do during the dry summer? Many, like the Black Kites, migrate. They simply leave the area altogether. Other species are tied down. Poor flyers, such as Red-legged Partridges Alectoris rufa, simply hold out as best they can. Many will die during this worst time of the year. Drying river beds and other ephemeral water bodies are the only sources of relief. That is why I’m in a hide, close to a small water body. It may be unbearably hot and uncomfortable but it gives me an opportunity to photograph birds in these difficult circumstances. Time to learn fast. Red-legged Partridge brings her newly-born young to water Slightly older juvenile Red-legged Partridges are quick to learn. Photograph courtesy Stewart Finlayson Juvenile Goldfinches Carduelis carduelis coming down to drink Many species need to drink. Here is a Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius enjoying a good soak Juvenile Crested Lark Galerida cristata panting to cool down. Photo courtesy Stewart Finlayson Magpie Pica pica trying to keep cool. Photo courtesy Geraldine Finlayson Juvenile Crested Lark spreading itself out to lose heat. Photo courtesy Stewart Finlayson I often read claims of trans-Saharan migrants overwintering in Iberia. Most are mistakes by those who try to understand Iberia in the classic spring-summer-autumn-winter manner. The Victorian naturalist Abel Chapman, describing Doñana, called it a little piece of Africa in Europe. That could equally apply to much of the south of the peninsula. It has a wet and a dry season and the birds move accordingly. The White Storks Ciconia Ciconia, which are now leaving with the kites, start returning in October – it is their “spring”. The Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica are back in January – they’re not wintering birds, they are back for their “spring”. Great Spotted Cuckoos Clamator glandarius start coming back from October, having left in July and August. The return of birds to Iberia varies, depending on their food requirements. For the Woodchat Shrikes Lanius senator it is not until March and for the Roller Coracias garrulus it is April. But they all have one thing in common, come July it is time to leave. Roller. Among the birds heading south now Juvenile Woodchat Shrike also heading for Africa during this and next month
Birding without Binos at Petra - 10,000 Birds
There is a German word, fernweh, which, according to the internet, literally translates to “farsickness,” but it is used to describe the feeling of being homesick for a place you have never been. For me, there are a few places I can think of that I yearn for – although I have never been. One such place was somewhere that I never thought I would ever actually go: Petra. If you are an Indiana Jones-obsesee, such as me, you may already be aware of Petra. It was featured prominently at the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In the movie, the characters explore the ruins of the Treasury building to find the holy grail. Sean Connery’s character calls it “the cup of Christ.” This is thought to be the cup from which Jesus Christ drank during the Last Supper, which was then used to collect Jesus’s blood at the crucifixion. After the cup is found and the bad guy is defeated, Jones and his crew are found outside with horses and on their way home. The Treasury is shown behind them. So, when we competed in BirdLife Israel’s Champions of the Flyway (COTF) in 2023, I knew I had to take my chance to visit Jordan and Petra. The COTF is based in Eilat, Israel, the southernmost edge of Israel along the Red Sea, a very narrow part in which Jordan and Egypt are only a few miles apart. Several tour operators offer day or overnight trips to Petra and Wadi Rum.The COTF competition and celebration came and went, and then the morning to explore Jordan was upon us. Our tour guide met the eight of us, including myself, my husband, and a couple of our teammates, at the hotel and quickly noted that we were weighed down with binoculars and cameras. She told us we would not be permitted to bring these items into the country – talk about a gut punch for a bunch of birders! We begrudgingly dragged our gear back to our hotel rooms and returned with our essentials. A quick bus ride brought us to the border crossing near the International Birding & Research Centre, a fantastic birding site in Eilat. Our guide directed us through the border and told us we would meet our Jordanian guide on the other side. After going through the multi-staged crossing, we reached the other side. We saw the lengthy line of Jordanians waiting to cross into Eilat, likely heading to work for the day in the hustling-and-bustling tourist destination. We found our guide and hopped on a bus, ready for the long ride to Petra but feeling naked without our binoculars. I was panicking and working through in my head how we would maximize the day without our gear – all those birds just too far away, the pictures we would not be able to take. The drive from Eilat is about 2 hours long through a mix of rocky, rugged landscapes and small communities in flat, arid areas. It was an uneventful drive-in with glimpses at red-winged Tristram’s Starlings and Common Buzzards. A brief bathroom and convenience store stop atop a mountain overlooking Israel, awarding us a lifer Hooded Wheatear, a striking black-and-white bird with a white crown and belly and black otherwise, playing peek-a-boo with us around a dirt pile. Before heading down into Wadi Musa, the town nearest Petra, we saw ubiquitous Crested Larks and another lifer – Fan-tailed Ravens, which are hard to miss. Upon arrival at the archeological site, our guide briefed us on the route down through the gorge and then, as it narrows into the Siq, about a 2.5-mile-long hike. Crested Lark We started down with the many other tourists. Much to the annoyance of our guide, we were lagging behind and not exploring on his well-set timeline. I savored every inch of the site; others in the party listened to the guide’s explanation, and the rest did what they could to see birds. A few small facades, which were small burial niches, were carved into the rock. Tomb Facade Entrance Sign to The Siq We rounded a curve and then faced the entrance to the Siq, a deep split in the sandstone rocks that narrows to ten feet in some places. Partway in, we noticed a few birds playing around on the rocky outcroppings near the top, which turned out to be Sinai Rosefinches, aptly named as they are small, rosy-colored finches. Lower down, wherever water collected and sunlight reached down, were wildflowers and European Greenfinches taking advantage of the water. Eurasian Crag-Martins and Rock Martins could be seen in the narrow bit of the sky. Narrow corridor The Treasury Facade We finally reached the Treasury, the star of Indiana Jones, and a sea of people dropped their jaws at the incredible creation that has stood the test of time. Our guide herded us along the rest of the site, which had so many amazing things to see—it does deserve more than one day to visit.After a buffet lunch at a restaurant on a cliffside with views of Petra in the distance, we jumped back on the bus and headed to our other stop, Wadi Rum. Also a famous filming location and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Wadi Rum is a river valley cut into the landscape of sandstone and granite rocks. We jumped into the back of pick-up trucks and were taken to a few stops nearby to see the views from a dune, a Bedouin campsite, petroglyphs, and the Seven Pillars of Wisdom. It was late afternoon, so few birds were seen beside Tristram’s Starlings and Eurasian Crag-Martins. Seven Pillars of Wisdom It was a magical day exploring some truly incredible historical sites. It was definitely a challenge not to have our optics, as we wish we could have had closer looks at the lifer birds and some distant sites. As these locations are desert areas, birds are sparser but still worth the effort! Make sure...
With CO2 Levels Rising, World’s Drylands Are Turning Green - Yale E360
Despite warnings that climate change would create widespread desertification, many drylands are getting greener because of increased CO2 in the air — a trend that recent studies indicate will continue. But scientists warn this added vegetation may soak up scarce water supplies.
Puppy 'Drowning In A Pool Of Trees' Needed Someone To Carry Him Out
Imagine how heart-wrenching it is for dogs when they are abandoned by their owners. These dogs, whose hearts yearn for affection, find themselves deeply wounded and betrayed. One such puppy left alone in a wooded area, was overwhelmed with sadness when he realized he had been deserted by his owner. …
Cooling off on the coast - 10,000 Birds
Last week I wrote about the hot and dry conditions that now affect much of the Iberian Peninsula. My own solution when it comes to birding at this time of the year is to concentrate on the coast. At Gibraltar, where I live, I spend many hours at its southernmost tip, Europa Point. If the winds are blowing from the west, the afternoons can be spectacular. As the land heats up, a fresh south-westerly sea breeze sets in. Many birds heading towards the Atlantic, whether migrating or performing feeding movements, are pushed inshore. Sea-watching has always been exciting for me because there is always the chance of something unexpected turning up. It is a bonus but simply standing on top of a cliff feeling the cool sea breeze on your face is sufficient reward. Adult Audouin’s Gulls now passing show heavily abraded plumage after breeding I covered the main species in my 23rd June article “When the sea becomes a desert”. Certainly, the migration of Audouin’s Gulls (Ichthyaetus audouinii) out of the Mediterranean is now gathering pace and it is a great time to observe these birds in their array of plumages, according to age. Europa Point, Gibraltar, has to be the best place to observe and photograph these gulls at close quarters. Juvenile Audouin’s Gull First summer Audouin’s Gull Second summer Audouin’s Gull Third summer Audouin’s Gull Audouin’s Gulls travel in flocks Audouin’s Gulls resting on the sandy beaches of the Strait of Gibraltar Another gull that has become regular and whose numbers have increased in recent years, is the Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus). These also show up, often in family groups, from the east and steadily approach the point before turning south-west towards the Atlantic. Mediterranean Gulls migrate past Europa Point in mixed age flocks Adult Mediterranean Gulls passing Europa Point. Note these birds still retain the black hoods but flight and tail feathers are heavily abraded. Those passing later in the summer are losing the black hoods Mediterranean Gulls gathering in calm waters close to the Strait of Gibraltar Less frequent, but also showing is the Slender-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus genei). If I really want to see these elegant gulls, then I can always drive up to the Atlantic coast and the estuary of the Guadalquivir River where they breed. Slender-billed Gulls passing Europa Point, Gibraltar Slender-billed Gulls breed in the Guadalquivir Estuary Not all birds showing up now are gulls. Two waders pass through in reasonable numbers. These are Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) and Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus), birds coming from the High Arctic in the latter case or from more southerly latitudes in the case of the former. Both are heading for rich wintering grounds off the West African coast. Oystercatchers passing Europa Point, Gibraltar Oystercatchers and Whimbrel on the move at Europa Point, Gibraltar Whimbrel rests and feeds at low tide on the rocky shore below Europa Point Last week I wrote about the Black Kites (Milvus migrans) that are now heading south. With fresh south-westerlies good numbers of these kites are drifted out to sea, east of the Rock. They then make an exhausting flight back in a north-westerly direction to find land. Many evenings I’m watching seabirds and flocks of kites arrive from the south-east and fly north back towards the hinterland. These lucky ones have lived to fight another day, perhaps when conditions improve. I’m sure that many others are not so lucky and drown away from sight of land. Black Kite passage now gathering pace I always go out in the hope of seeing another very special bird that shows up at this time. This is Eleonora’s Falcon (Falco eleonorae). These are scarce but they do show up consistently in July and early August. They are birds that venture inland in search of concentrations of insects which they feed on prior to moving to their island colonies to breed. Others are non-breeding individuals wandering in search of food. The birds that I see, almost invariably, come in from the south, very probably the Moroccan coast just 21 kilometres away. Eleonora’s Falcon is always a possibility at Europa Point in the summer Sea-watching from the coast is great fun right now and it keeps me cool. Next week I’ll take a step further. In recent years pelagic trips have become increasingly popular and they offer a different window, one of seabirds that have always been out there at this time but that we have never been able to see from the coast. Adult Audouin’s Gull head-on
Puppy Grew Up Believing Everything Was Out To Get Him
The world was extremely overwhelming for a puppy named Bale. When Bale first came into his humans’ lives, it was during a visit to the shelter, where they learned he had been left in the desert. The first days with Bale were pretty calm until he was old enough to …