Tim writes: if Lapwings are being watched by a predator (or a human) they sometimes pretend to have a nest in a different area to where their actual nest is. Because of this Lapwings were thought to be deceitful birds and the collective noun is a deceit of Lapwings. Chaucer said that the bird was…
Tag: Tim Melling
Tim Melling – Malayan Porcupine
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Tim writes: The name implies that this is a tropical species but it also occurs throughout the Southern Himalayas, so also goes by the name of Himalayan Porcupine (Histrix brachyura). Its scientific name translates as short-tailed porcupine, even though its tail is quite long, but this distinguishes it from the Long-tailed Porcupine (Trichys fasciculata), which…
Tim Melling – Steppe Eagle
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Tim writes: Steppe Eagles (Aquila nipalensis) are a bit smaller than Golden Eagles and breed across the desert steppes of Central Asia but migrate south to winter in sub-Saharan Africa, India and Southeast Asia. Huge numbers pass through certain places on migration, such as the Middle East and Nepal, and its name (nipalensis) refers to…
Tim Melling – Tibetan Macaques
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Tim writes: these are Tibetan Macaques, sometimes known as Milne-Edwards’ or Chinese Stump-tailed Macaques (Macaca thibetana). They are the largest species of Macaque and occur mainly in Eastern Tibet and Western China. They are classified by IUCN as near-threatened largely because of habitat destruction. They live in mixed sex groups of twenty to thirty with…
Tim Melling – Golden Pheasant in the wild
Tim writes: most people will be familiar with Golden Pheasant as an aviary bird, or perhaps even as a naturalised escapee in Britain. But this is a wild, wary male in its natural habitat at Tangjiahe in China. This one had been caught out in the open and was dashing for the cover of a…
Tim Melling – Grey-hooded Fulvettas
Tim writes; Grey-hooded Fulvettas (Fulvetta cinereiceps) are endemic to China and occur in high altitude forests with a bamboo understorey. Its scientific name translates as little tawny bird with an ash-coloured head, which describes it quite nicely. I photographed this pair on a frosty twig at about 3000m asl at Labahe in Sichuan. In winter…
Tim Melling – Stripe-throated Yuhina
Tim writes: Stripe-throated Yuhina (Yuhina gularis) is a common bird of forested hills in the southern Himalayas across to China and Vietnam. They would be a plain, unmemorable bird apart from an enormous, erect crest and a distinctive stripey throat. Both its English and scientific names come from the Nepalese word for this bird (Yuhin),…
Tim Melling – Asian Barred Owlet
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Tim writes: unlike most owls, Asian Barred Owlet is a daytime-active species. It sits around on open perches like this, and drops down onto its prey, which is usually large insects, but also lizards, small mammals and birds. It also goes by the name of Cuckoo Owlet and its scientific name Taenioglaux cuculoides translates as…
Tim Melling – Sichuan Takin
Tim writes: this is a young Sichuan Takin (Budorcas taxicolor tibetana) venturing out onto a road. I love its innocent expression and Mona Lisa smile plus its tiny imp-like horns that will soon develop into huge Musk Ox-like horns. This one is only a year old but males can reach 1.4m at the shoulder and…
Tim Melling – Chinese Mountain Cat
Tim writes: Chinese Mountain Cat (also known as Chinese Desert or Steppe Cat) is a rare and little-known species that is endemic to a small area of western central China on the north-east edge of the Tibetan Plateau. They occur at high altitude (2800-4100 m asl) in grasslands and are mainly nocturnal and wary. I…