Tag: Tim Melling

Tim writes: the Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) is a very large falcon of plains and steppes across Eurasia, that feeds largely on small mammals.  This is subspecies milvipes (which means kite-footed) which breeds across the steppes of Asia but winters further south, including China.  I photographed this one above 3500m on the Tibetan Plateau where…

Tim writes: This is Elliot’s laughingthrush (Trochalopteron elliotii), a songbird found in Central China and the extreme NE part of India.  It occurs at high altitudes from about 1200 to 4800m in forest and scrub.  But like all laughingthrushes, they are heard more often than they are seen.  This was unusual to see one perched…

Tim writes: This is a Siberian Weasel (Mustela sibirica) photographed at night by torchlight in the forests at Labahe, Sichuan in China.  It was at an altitude of c2000m above sea level.  This is the one and only individual that I have seen, and judging by the scarcity of wild photographs, it appears that they…

Tim writes: White-rumped Snowfinch (Onychostruthus taczanowskii) is only found at high altitude meadows and steppes in the Himalayas.  They are usually associated with Pika colonies as they nest, shelter and roost in Pika burrows.  Though the relationship with Pikas seems rather one-sided as I noticed aggression between resident Pikas and Snowfinches with an eye to…

Tim writes: The Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis) was split from the Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) as recently as 2000 based on DNA analysis.  However, it differs markedly in appearance being much more contrastingly black and white below.  They are pretty enormous, with a wingspan that can exceed 3m, and weigh up to 12kg.  They breed…

Tim writes: Imagine seeing a wild wolf loping across the countryside when he stops about 40m away and stares right into your eyes.  It sent shivers down my spine and is one of my most enjoyable wildlife experiences ever.  I have seen wolves on a number of occasions before, but this one was a particularly…

Tim writes: This bird is a lot more interesting than it looks.  It was originally called Hume’s Ground-pecker as it uses its long beak to peck the ground.  Later it was thought to be a Ground-Jay, and the smallest member of the crow family, being about the size of a sparrow.  But DNA molecular sequencing…

Tim writes: The golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is only found in China and is classified as endangered.  It is found in forests at high altitude (1500-3400m) and feeds largely on lichens that grow on dead trees, but also on fresh leaves, buds and flowers.  They occur in groups that range over a very wide…

Tim writes: I did see plenty of ordinary Magpies in China, but they were completely upstaged by their beautiful, blue cousins.  These striking birds were extraordinarily wary but with time and patience I managed to capture several photographs.  Its body is about the same size as a common Magpie but the tail is much longer,…

Tim writes: The Plateau Pika (Ochotona curzoniae) is a medium-sized lagomorph (c140g) that occurs mainly on the high desert plateaux of China, but also in Tibet, Pakistan, India and Nepal.  They look a bit like Gerbils but are in the same family as rabbits and hares, but have oddly human ears.  It gets really cold…