Black Woodpecker book progress

Almost everything is ready... the manuscript just needs fine-tuning, I am now writing captions for the photographs, the waveforms of drumming and sonograms of calls. The colour plates are nearly ready, too, and the drawings under way. It has been a huge task, but my book will soon be at the publishers ready to be edited and designed. Here is a sneak preview of a draft sketch of one of Szabolcs Kokay's black and white illustrations for the book. Just to whet your appetite.

Birds and Football...again

Well, 1-1 in the football match (that is "soccer game" sorry) between the US and England... my US birders and I agreed it was rubbish. And yesterday even worse... Algeria v England was 0-0. Terrible. So bad that a pigeon even landed on one of the goals during the match and sat there undisturbed! You see, birds and football !

Birds and Football...

It is hot here now, mid 30s C. But I am off to pick up 3 birders from the US of A soon, for a week around the plains and woods of eastern Hungary. And guess what? Tonight it is England v USA in the football World Cup, sorry "soccer"... Maybe we will watch it together, I know one of these guys is a "soccer" fan. Could be a tough day birding together tomorrow, depending upon the result! It could get hotter!

Apologies again...

Again... sorry for not up-dating my blogs as regularly as I usually do... as mentioned before I am just just very busy trying to finish my Black Woodpecker book manuscript... deadline is approaching ! Anyway, here is another photo from my recent Poland trip... the group were admiring the mosquitoes!

White Storks in Poland

We saw 100s and 100s of White Storks in Poland last week... pairs breeding in almost every village on houses and telephone poles, huge nests on barns and farmstead roofs, birds following tractors, small chicks popping up from nests and flocks of non-breeding birds in fields.