News and Stories
Honey Badgers Around Our House
Here are some of the honey badger videos I have filmed aound the house over a couple of years.
The wood kingfishers: jewels of the bushveld
Visitors from Europe are often surprised when visiting this part of the world when they learn that we have so many species of kingfisher (10 species in South Africa), and that more than half of them are not associated with water. In Europe, there is only one species of kingfisher, the common kingfisher, which most people there just refer to as ‘the kingfisher’. In Europe, there is only one species of kingfisher, the common kingfisher, which most people there just
Swifts and Swallows: Convergent Evolution in Action
Every summer, our skies around Hoedspruit are full of agile and fast birds flying around picking insects out of the air. In the dying days of our summer, some such as the barn swallow, muster in large numbers in trees and along wires for the long journey back to the far reaches of the Northern Hemisphere. Given that swifts and swallows are so similar in form, habits, and feeding, one could be forgiven for thinking that they are related. They
The Truth About Keystone Species
The Truth About Keystone Species The idea of keystone species has become central to how many people understand ecosystem dynamics, particularly within the fields of conservation and wildlife guiding. For those working in safari guiding or nature education, grasping the origin, development, and current challenges of the keystone species concept is essential for accurate interpretation of ecological relationships and informed communication with clients or audiences. Origins of the Keystone Species Concept The keystone species concept was first introduced by the
Some of my short videos about birds
Here are some of the short-form videos that I have posted to TikTok about birds. This is a fairly random mixture. Use Newest First if you want to see the latest ones, or Oldest first if you want to start from the beginning.
Finding a New Species, Lithophyllum cuneatum, and the parallel with grasses
Finding a New Species, Lithophyllum cuneatum, and the parallel with grasses Once upon a time, I had the incredible privilege of spending a year on sabbatical in Fiji. While there, I dived almost every day, studying the calcified coralline algae on the coral reefs there. I was based out of the Marine Studies Program building on the shore of the lagoon behind the amazing offshore barrier reef. The building was a Second World War wooden building that we always joked