Crimson Sunbird, Nepal

The coronavirus pandemic has brought unprecedented change for everyone, including naturalists. Our holidays would normally be taking people to exotic locations across the world, introducing them to novel assemblages of exciting species, which would then be comprehensively and enthusiastically discussed over delicious regional cuisine.

Lockdown measures may have pushed this kind of experience out of reach, but it's possible to make the best of this difficult period. For many of us, lockdown has been a time of discovery, with walks from our homes providing a fascinating insight into our local natural history. It's also been a time of connection – we're all in this together after all, and hearing about other people's lockdown experiences, while enjoying a little vicarious travel, has been a necessary stopgap to sate our appetites. 

With this in mind, we've launched this new feature, which will be updated regularly with in-depth accounts of lockdown from leading naturalists around the world!

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How is wildlife faring in Italy? A view from tour leader Nicola Scatassi

Writes Nicola: “Generally speaking, there is a growing and unprecedented interest in nature and wildlife in Italy in the last few decades, and this, rather obviously, coincides with a marked decline in poaching and illegal hunting and trapping. Citizen science, if we may call it this, is also steadily growing, resulting in more and more data and records being made available, both for research and conservation purposes as well as for the benefit of nature tourism. Italy has the highest biodiversity in Europe. As Italian citizens we have a great responsibility to protect it. Responsible ecotourism and the generation of sustainable employment and income is, as elsewhere around the globe, one of the best ways to help protect this diversity. At long last, it seems that Italy has grasped this concept, and the country’s unparalleled hospitality, food, culture, idyllic nature-friendly agriturismos and family-run hotels, very often located in beautiful rural landscape, can now start to look forward to more positive times ahead.

Global warming, environmental pollution and the decline of species are unfortunately all-too-often headline news these days, but wildlife IS on the rise in Italy and it’s important that we shout about this! Large carnivores are doing well in Italy (but we could also say large animals in general, as this is true for ungulates and cetaceans as well, for instance): Wolves, Bears, Jackals and Otters are steadily increasing in numbers across the peninsula, a process that can be dated back to decades ago. Generally speaking, Italy has a far larger extension of woodland and uninhabited areas compared to 30 or 40 years ago, mainly due to urban migration from the Apennines and other rural areas. This has led to a dramatic increase of Wild Boar, Roe and Red Deer and other ungulates, which are all prey for the Wolf. Actually, the recovery and expansion of territories of the Wolf in Italy has been spectacular: back in 1973, when it was granted legal protection, very low numbers managed to cling on to existence in central and southern Italy. Since then, the Wolf has naturally expanded its range towards the north along the Apennines first and then the Alps, crossing over into other countries as well, and the total Wolf population in Italy now is well over 2,000 individuals. They live also in the outskirts of Rome and Milan, and packs breed in the lowlands and by the sea. Our ‘Abruzzo in Autumn’ tour offers a good opportunity to try to see them.

Marsican Brown Bears are doing particularly well in north-eastern Italy, where a LIFE project replenished their numbers with individuals from Slovenia, and now around 100 bears are present there, with single individuals spotted as far west as the mountains of Piedmont, north of Turin. In terms of breeding, two cubs for European Brown Bear are the standard, three cubs are unusual, and four cubs are definitely exceptional! But this is what happened in the Abruzzo National Park this year: a female (not one of the radio-collared individuals) with four cubs was first spotted in May by the rangers, and made the headlines all over Italy. One of the cubs was significantly smaller than its siblings and the researchers thought that it could not survive for long. But at the end of June the whole family was still doing well, and though the fourth cub is still smaller, there is now more hope that all the four cubs might survive to adulthood. With at least 16 bear cubs born last year in the park (the highest number recorded in the last four years), the future of the Marsican Brown Bear seems positive. Further, a few bears were recently seen north of their normal range in Abruzzo, and the hope is that they might, sooner or later, expand their distribution. Naturetrek tours to Abruzzo National Park regularly feature observations of Marsican Brown Bear, usually casual sightings from the road but especially from special lookout points frequently visited during our stay.

Otters are recovering in central and southern Italy and there are records from alpine areas where Otters hadn't been seen in decades, and a little but apparently healthy population has been found, to the astonishment of the researchers, in extreme western Liguria, not too far from the crowded beaches of the Riviera. European Beaver has been recorded in north-eastern Italy, the first sighting of this species in centuries! And there are more and more sightings every year of the iconic Monk Seal along the coasts of Italy, especially in Puglia and on a number of Thyrrenean islands.

In Sardinia, the LIFE Project (funded by the EU) ‘Under Griffon Wings’, looked at “Implementation of best practices to rescue Griffon Vultures in Sardinia”, and was not only hugely successful with the Griffons, but had the welcome collateral effect to contribute to the first breeding of Egyptian Vultures in decades. This species has experienced a dramatic decline in central and southern Italy in the last 30 years, but now has a little population made up of only a few breeding pairs in southern Italy and Sicily. Sardinia used to host all four species of European vultures until roughly 50 years ago: then, largely due to poaching and poisoning, Lammergeiers and Black Vultures became extinct, followed by the Egyptian Vultures, and only Griffon Vultures managed to survive with a small isolated population. The LIFE Project established a number of feeding stations, mainly around the area of the Porto Conte protected area: at one of these stations last year a pair of Egyptian Vultures showed up, and then successfully bred in that same area. Also in this area a pair of Ospreys has successfully bred this year for the first time in over 50 years! Two chicks fledged!...they're back!

The Porto Conte protected area is visited during the ‘Sardinia’s Dragonflies’ tour in early June, and is always a highlight of the trip, for its fantastic landscape of sea cliffs patrolled by Peregrines, Blue Rock Thrushes and Alpine and Pallid Swifts, and its extensions of Mediterranean maquis inhabited by Marmora's and Spectacled Warblers and where Two-tailed Pashas are particularly common.”

Thank you Nicola! It’s great to read of some positive news!

Judy Carvalhal, owner of Enchanted Expeditions, our partners in the Galápagos Islands, writes to us from their home on Santa Cruz in the Galápagos.

Judy writes: ‘I'll give you some idea of how it has been here in Galápagos the last two and a half months. The islands were literally closed to any resident who was not here on 16th March; the last day anyone could fly to Galápagos. This was a good move since our medical system here leaves much to be desired and an outbreak could have been very serious. The local government and all authorities involved did a very good job of controlling any spread by imposing very strict rules: curfew from 2pm to 5am (this was changed last week to 9pm to 6am); you could only drive your car one day a week (controlled by the last digit of the licence plate); only one family member shopping at a time etc... Of course, all restaurants and non-essential stores and businesses are closed. Only grocery stores and pharmacies are open, and total stay-at-home rules are strictly enforced.

More than 80% of the Galápagos economy is directly or indirectly related to tourism so upon shutdown very unfortunately most people lost their jobs. There is an estimated 60% unemployment at the moment; 10% sub employed and the rest work for NGOs, the government, the national park, the Darwin Station and agriculture and fishing. This is very serious for Galápagos and there is no government furlough scheme here in Ecuador. Residents who have a chance on the mainland of Ecuador have taken the opportunity but most do not have that chance. We are at the beginning of a situation that could become very serious.

The national park was shut down the week of 16th March and all scientists had to return to Santa Cruz or wherever their home base was, so as to quarantine. Even the beaches close to the towns were closed; all national park areas were shut down. About 10 days ago the national park and the Darwin Station have started collecting data at the visitors’ sites and the marine reserve. This will be the first time ever since the park was established that data can be collected after no human presence for two and a half months. The plan is to collect information now and then at some point in the future after tourism resumes. This will be very interesting.

All tourist boats are at anchor either in Academy Bay, Puerto Ayora, or around Baltra. Our boats are in the channel between Baltra and Santa Cruz. Like everyone, we had to let go of most of our crew and just a small essential number are on board while we wait. Once the park closed on 21st March, the boats had to anchor and the crew had to stay on board in quarantine for three weeks.

Here on Santa Cruz island the bay has looked cleaner and we have had the usual iguanas, rays, sea lions etc loafing around the dock.

We (my husband Rodolfo, my daughter Tatjana and her husband Dustin) have been making chocolate (artesanal) from the cacao beans we harvested last year on our farm and never had time to do anything with, of course baking our bread, and Tatjana is making yogurt and quark to sell and now also cheese. This is the first time anyone has made mature cheese here on the islands. Rodolfo (his family has one of the oldest cheese-making companies in Ecuador) and Tatjana have made a type of gouda, camembert and a type of gruyere and Rodolfo is maturing some in a lava tube on our farm. This has been his dream for 10 years but we have never had the time before. We are also getting our coffee plants back on track. The hope is that we can serve our coffee and our cheese to our guests on our boats and at the lodge, and also our chocolate. Farm to table. The lockdown is opening new doors. We have this lovely lodge (we live here) that Rodolfo and I have come to really appreciate since we are forced to be here. I have enjoyed the birds here: the Short-eared and Barn Owls, the Galápagos Rail, various Darwin’s finches and of course the Yellow Warbler.

Tourism is essential for Galápagos. For the economy and for the sustainability of the park also since a large portion of the tourist dollar goes directly or indirectly into conservation. Without tourism there is the fear of illegal fishing, lack of funds for proper control of the introduction of invasive species, of illegal hunting etc…’

We join Judy and all of her team in hoping that tourism can return to the Galápagos Islands as soon as it is safe to do so! Click here for details on our Galápagos cruises for 2021: https://www.naturetrek.co.uk/destinations/south-america/galapagos-islands

Nathalie Leën is a director of our partners in Kenya. She’s been keeping us updated over the last couple of months, and has also enlisted the help of two of her colleagues – Lisa, who usually works in the office and lives in Nairobi, and Davies, one of our birding guides who has temporarily moved back to Meru (in the countryside), to tell us a little about how life has changed for them.

Nathalie: ‘Life has most noticeably changed for people in the city and for those who are used to doing lots of travelling. The country has gone into lockdown and travel to and from Nairobi, Mombasa and a few other cities is now forbidden in an attempt to avoid the spread of any virus to upcountry (where we have near to no cases reported). Here the Covid rules are similar to Europe – reduced pay, working from home, the curfew, the lockdown (i.e. not leaving Nairobi), the restaurants all closed except for takeaway, reduced transport in the city, new social distancing and hygiene regulations... but with far fewer medical cases, so I guess for many it's a bit tricky to get their heads around it all. Here, people are 'used to' TB and Malaria outbreaks, so in a way Covid-19, at the current mortality rate (which here, is very low) is not actually that noticeable. In Kenya, the most vulnerable 70+ year olds form only a very small proportion of the population (the median age here is 18), and many are saying that the outdoor life style and good absorption of Vitamin D helps fight the virus. And, of course, very few people are obese. But we are obviously very CAUTIOUS and only quietly hopeful! We are keeping our fingers firmly crossed that Africa does escape the worst of this virus, and that we are ready to welcome you all by the time the first Naturetrek group prepares to travel in a few months’ time.’

Lisa: ‘The noticeable impact of Covid-19 definitely varies depending on where you live in Kenya. Life in lockdown has been both interesting and frustrating. I am glad that I am spending quality time with family, a rare occurrence as everyone is always busy with something. Being an insomniac, I am happy that I can get a few more hours of sleep making me more productive! The lockdown has also made me learn more skills, things I never thought I would ever have time for or even think of doing.

Leaving the house is not an option and only permitted to get house supplies. It is quite challenging having to queue due to the social distancing measures before getting into the malls; the masks are not at all comfortable especially in the scorching Nairobi sun, and not everyone is keen on supporting measures put in place to curb the spread of the virus. Working from home has been something many of us have had to adjust to and so far I am loving it, mainly because I do not have to face the hustle and bustle of the Nairobi streets and can avoid long hours of sitting in traffic!

There is so much uncertainty on what happens next after the lockdown has been lifted, and I think the pandemic may change the world of travel. We do very much hope that everything will soon return to ‘normal’ – perhaps though we will all travel with a heightened awareness of, and appreciation for, this amazing world that we live in. Until then, we are busy putting systems in place to ensure that we can keep our clients safe, as and when the time comes for them to return to our wonderful country.’

Davies: ‘When the crisis began, I temporarily relocated from my Nairobi city residence to the countryside. Normally I am busy guiding tours for much of the year, so returning home now has given me the rare chance to connect with my family in a way that we could not have done in normal times. My family is everything to me.

Unlike in Nairobi, where it is very busy and we have a large population, here in the countryside the people are much more sparsely spread, and we can move freely without worrying too much about social distancing. It’s pretty much life as normal, with a face mask! Morning walks are very refreshing as the air is not polluted like it is in the city, and, as a guide, I always take along my wife and our two sons aged 9 and 14. As we embarked on our walk this morning, we quickly heard a Tropical Boubou going bonkers up in the trees. After watching this bird jump from one branch to another, I also realized that someone else was also busy enjoying his breakfast: the White-bellied Go-away bird. Further along, one of my sons spotted some monkey business – Vervet monkeys feeding on fruits, enjoying their breakfast completely undisturbed by our presence. I pass by this tree every morning on my walks; the fig tree (Ficus sycomorus) is very common and can be found along every river or stream. With so many treasures in our midst, you should never walk past a fig tree without stopping to look for the many creatures that share its life.

We hear much here about humanity's promiscuous treatment of nature, and of warnings from scientists who have analysed the link between viruses, wildlife, and habitat destruction, who tell us that we need to change or there will be more deadly pandemics. However, when all is well, you are going to look back on this period of your life and be glad that you never gave up. I am usually optimistic, and so I hope and believe that the virus will be tamed before long. Until then, thunder continues to crack across Africa, and the calls of our Lions and Elephants can still be heard, louder now than ever before.’

Linda English runs Mandina Lodges, where our ‘The Gambia in Style’ tours are based, and has lived in The Gambia for the last 8 years. Here, she offers us a personal view of life in lockdown in this tiny country (which packs a mighty avian punch, being home to more than 570 species!) from the grounds of Mandina Lodges, which is much loved by many Naturetrek visitors.

It’s off-season here in The Gambia now, as most hotels and lodges close between May and late October. It really is a pity that the season here doesn’t extend into May because with leaves off a lot of the trees, and flowers and blossom on others, the birds are busy nesting and so easy to see without foliage in the way. The bamboo at the centre of our pool is covered with Weaver Birds’ nests; it’s fascinating to see them stripping palm leaves to make into a perfect globe, then watching the males trying to entice the females inside. At night the sound of frogs around the pool can be deafening.  

From when lockdown began in the UK, we missed out on six weeks’ business; it could have been worse.  But what a season, with Thomas Cook going bust at the beginning and this at the end! In between, we were really very busy: 100% full, give or take, from January to the end of March. We have had only 20 cases of Covid-19 here in The Gambia, although the country has gone into lockdown, which has been extended for another three weeks, but I have no idea why as very few people are taking a lot of notice of it. The local market is still pretty busy and you wouldn’t know there was anything out of the ordinary unless you went to the tourist areas, and, of course, local people don’t have much to spend. The end of Ramadan celebrations were rather quieter this year. All of the hospitality sector is currently closed down, but the general feeling is that The Gambia can’t wait to welcome tourists back; it can barely exist without them. So many people are employed in the hotels, bars, etc. as well as ground tour operators, guides, taxis, boats...

Our hope here at Mandina is that if people have had their spring or summer holiday cancelled, they will seek a birding holiday in the winter sun instead. With Europe starting to open up, I think this virus is something everyone is going to have to live with and I’m convinced hot weather will weaken it. I believe that’s why it hasn’t hit so hard in most of Africa; nothing like Europe, China and the USA.  Please God it stays that way. So, let’s be optimistic. Gambians genuinely welcome tourists, especially those from the UK, and I’m told that in the mosques they are all praying that visitors will come back. We will be here, ready to welcome everyone, whenever you are ready to travel again.

With Europe starting to open up, I think this virus is something everyone is going to have to live with. I live in hope that the hot weather weakens it, and wonder if that’s why it hasn’t hit so hard in most of Africa; nothing like Europe, China and the USA. Please God it stays that way.

Neil Mcleod, Namibian tour leader and author of a number of wildlife guidebooks to his country, lives in the coastal town of Swakopmund. He reports that during the lockdown, residents were permitted to leave their homes in groups of no more than three to take a walk or bicycle ride. During this time, some went looking for an elephant that had turned up in the town! Whilst elephants are a regular sight on safari in Namibia, the arrival of a lone bull elephant at Swakopmund is unprecedented. It is thought that the elephant came to the coast via the Omaruru River before ending up in Swakopmund.

Naturetrek tour leader and Alderney Bird Observatory warden, John Horton, describes his amazing discoveries during lockdown!

This is my fifth year as Alderney Bird Observatory warden, and I have never before experienced such a spate of east and north-east winds during spring as have occurred in 2020. With our island being merely 13 km north-west of France’s Cotentin Peninsula, these are the sort of winds I would give my right arm for in the autumn as migrants head south.

Following on from last month's Black-winged Kite, Naturetrek tour leader & Alderney Bird Observatory warden John Horton was graced with another mega raptor when this Lammergeier cruised over the island on 21st May; only the second record of this vulture for the British Isles!

“The Lammergeier was first seen early afternoon 20th May by one of our ABO (Alderney Bird Observatory) board members, Neil Harvey, whilst he and his wife enjoyed a walk along the Alderney south cliffs (one of the walks also enjoyed by visiting Naturetrek groups!). Neil is not an experienced bird watcher, but he recognised that this was clearly something extraordinary and took some photos using his mobile phone. Unfortunately, Neil had no mobile phone signal from this location so was unable to send me his shots until about 3pm. Coincidentally, as I studied Neil's photos, my eyes widening by the second, I had a call from a local birder who said he didn't have his binoculars with him but had had very brief views of a huge 'eagle sized' bird of prey at some distance. I responded (more in hope than expectation) that it could possibly be the Lammergeier recently seen on the French Normandy coast, but here in Alderney we have also recorded this spring our first White-tailed Eagle since 1899! So it could easily be either species. I circulated Neil’s photo and headed out towards the west end of the island, where Neil and the local birder had reported seeing the bird. The response we had from our social media, from some very capable birders looking at Neil's photo, confirmed that the bird was in fact a juvenile Lammergeier! Wowzers! A handful of local birders searched for the rest of the afternoon but had no luck finding it. Neil's last sighting of the bird was of it circling high on thermals, heading due north, so it appeared to have gone, but what a record! A first for the Channel Islands and only the 2nd record in the British Isles ever.

Enormous interest in this sighting ensued via our observatory Facebook page and also our Twitter account which quickly clocked up over 75,000 views on a single Twitter post. Not surprising really, when you consider that the Lammergeier, also known as Bearded Vulture, is thought to have a European population of only 162 pairs, and of course it has a near 10ft wing span! Communications with the Vulture Conservation Foundation confirmed our bird to have been spotted 12th May in France and then at several locations as it made its way north across the country arriving on the Normandy coast adjacent to Alderney 18th May.  I was informed by these 'vulture experts' that it is not unusual for immature vultures to travel great distances, perhaps in search of a new territory or other vulture colonies. This was indeed a 2nd calendar year bird (born 2019).

The next day I had a very excited phone call at midday from our assistant warden from our observatory HQ. "A gigantic bird of prey is passing over the observatory at a great height and heading your way". Dropping everything I ran out into my garden at Mannez Lighthouse and could see the magnificent creature drifting in my direction. Harried by a crow that it utterly ignored, it continued towards my position and lost some height allowing me some fortunate photographs as it passed overhead half circling the lighthouse and heading off south west over the sea towards France. Hopefully on its way home to the Spanish or French Pyrenees mountains, or possibly the Alps.

On BBC radio this morning I was asked to describe what it looked like, and how it felt seeing this amazing bird. "If you strapped an ironing board to each arm either side would still be a foot short" I replied. It was the sort of experience that all supporters and enthusiasts of the natural world hope for as we put our binoculars and cameras around our necks and step out of the front door, though perhaps not from our own garden!”

John Horton

John is warden of the Alderney Bird Observatory and leads all of our popular Naturetrek tours to this charming island! We have departures in May, June and September each year, to view them, click here.

It flew across the adjacent Mannez Quarry Nature Reserve on powerful, long wings, mostly gliding. Upon reaching the west quarry wall it rose to survey the landscape above of open grasslands, gorse and bramble falling away to the west. From here we watched the kite start hunting, taking up the classic Common Kestrel-like hovering position three times before moving off south-west, in the direction of our bird observatory some 800 m away.

I was already on the phone to Elliot while the Kite was hovering just above the quarry; luckily the bird had continued in the same direction and while on the phone he picked it up almost immediately. He too observed the bird hovering and managed to get a couple of passable record shots of this first record for Alderney over the next few minutes. There were no other observers or opportunities for photos.

I must say that, despite the elation of the sighting, I felt some disappointment that our recently refurbished observatory accommodation wasn't full with the pre-booked birders and ringers who too would have seen the kite if it weren’t for the current coronavirus outbreak. I did, however, watch the bird in the company of my 82-year-old father and, after 40 years of birding with him on and off, there is no one with whom I would rather have shared the moment.

John is warden of the Alderney Bird Observatory and leads all of our popular Naturetrek tours to this charming island! We have departures in May, June and September each year, to view them, click here.

Recently I saw a social media post by Jamie Hooper of La Societe Guernesiaise, who has been involved with Bailiwicks’ Gannet research since the 1990’s. Jamie reported seeing two Gannets further ‘inland’ in Guernsey than he could ever remember seeing them before. This tied in nicely with my own observations locally in Alderney. Whilst we are very lucky to have a Gannet colony occupying two (Les Etacs & Ortac) of the offshore islets, and Gannets passing by the Alderney coastline are a familiar sight almost year round, I have also noticed a very clear change in Gannet behaviour since the lockdown.

The Alderney Gannet colonies have been the subject of one of the worlds’ longest ongoing seabird studies, with research being conducted since 1946. In more recent years the States of Alderney recognised the conservation importance of offshore islands and gave many formal protection.

So, what has changed and why? It has been documented for years that many ocean-going birds follow fishing trawlers, taking advantage of ‘unwanted waste’ or even surplus fish discarded by these vessels. Indeed, I was witness to this myself in January this year on a cruise ship – we saw no seabirds at all until we came across fishing trawlers off the Spanish and French coasts, each being followed by hundreds or even thousands of birds, many of them Gannets. Birdwatchers worldwide often take part in pelagic trips – essentially chartered boats that set out to observe seabirds. These trips tend to seek out fishing trawlers, as this is the most reliable way of finding birds.

Now with the lockdown effectively ending the Atlantic fishing trade this free and easy food source for Gannets and many other seabirds has suddenly dried up! From my observations the immediate impact of this, certainly around the Alderney coastline, is seeing good numbers of Gannets hunting and diving for food immediately offshore. Indeed, this morning I was able to take photographs from my garden at Mannez lighthouse of Gannets diving into the sea, something I have seen only a handful of times before from this location, and always with the necessary assistance of binoculars or a spotting scope; at present the spectacular experience of watching these birds in action is a regular sight, with the birds so close optics are not required. It is unusual to see Gannets travelling overland, but for the last few weeks I have been observing Gannets flying across and over Alderney every day, suggesting a marked change in behaviour. It remains to be seen what kind of impact this will have on their breeding success this year. In a rare success story, populations of Northern Gannets have actually been increasing in numbers for at least the last two decades. The question is: how much of this success is down to them having learned to take advantage of increasing human activities at sea?  Alderney Bird Observatory leads Gannet chick ringing trips every year around mid-July, and so long as these difficult times have passed then our work later this year may be able to provide some relevant and important data.

By tour leader Leon Marais, 28th April

Well, South Africa is three weeks into a hard lockdown, with a two-week extension kicking in on Friday the 18^th, so the whole of April will have been a stay-at-home month – unprecedented, as it is in the rest of the world. Our lockdown is fairly severe, nobody is to leave their homes for anything other than work deemed essential; to get food, medicine or access medical care. In the beginning there was some confusion, with one Minister saying we would be able to go out for jogs or to walk the dog, but then another Minister cancelled such liberties, so we have not left our homes in three weeks except to go to the shops. Overall there seems to be a positive response to how our Government is handling it, as they initiated the lockdown very promptly after we started recording cases, although many people aren’t too happy with the ban on alcohol and cigarette sales!

In our town of Nelspruit the birds seem to be carrying on as normal, and while going to the shops the other day, a clan of Banded Mongooses crossing one of our main roads (which was otherwise deserted) was a welcome sight!   

Many who are locked down in parks and reserves (lodge managers, field guides etc.) seem to think that the wildlife is more visible now that there are no tourists driving around, though I think many of the opinions on social media about animals being ‘happier’ are rather anthropomorphic in nature! Indeed another unprecedented event has been the shutdown of parks such as the Kruger National Park, probably for the first time in its 120-year history. While some may see this as a blessing for the animals, the lack of tourists makes for more freedom of movement for poachers, so it’s not really a good situation. Added to this is the fact that dried-up incomes for locals (who formerly made a living in the tourism industry) will only add to the subsistence hunting and poaching problem.

So we need this current lockdown to clear as quickly as possible – a hard task for the decision makers who have to balance that with the overall health situation. We also need international air travel to resume as quickly as possible …. we are all longing for that day!

By tour leader Jan Kelchtermans, 26th April

At this time of year, I would normally be in the extreme south-eastern corner of Poland, exploring the vast, wooded Bieszczady landscape. Accompanied by my friend (and fellow guide) Detlef Tibax, our goal there is to get Naturetrek groups accustomed to an exciting set of wildlife-finding strategies: periods of dedicated scanning at dawn and dusk, combined with walks and night-time lamping drives through the forest. These are all in search of some of Europe’s most enigmatic flagship species, such as European Bison, Wolf, Eurasian Lynx, Brown Bear, European Wildcat, both Pine and Beech Martens, Eurasian Otter and Eurasian Beaver. This place has it all!

Although I spend a lot of time in Poland, I live in Belgium and I really never thought that a Sunday stroll in the Belgian Ardennes on the 8th of March with my wife and daughter would be my last real field experience for a long time! Besides lovely Hazel forest floors covered with wild Easter flowers, the walk around an active local quarry produced many good sightings: Goshawk, Red Kite, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Hawfinch and Yellowhammer. However, best of all was an Eagle Owl in almost exactly the same spot where I first saw this species more than 25 years ago – two-and-a-half decades of wildlife pleasure! What’s more, I also discovered a very large and active beaver lodge nearby, and made a plan to return the next weekend to stake it out.

Then came the lockdown, which quickly put an end to any travel by car from our home! We were now suddenly limited to the wildlife present very near to where I live. What a sudden change! But instead of wasting too much energy moaning and complaining, I decided to embrace the positives and go searching for wildlife on my doorstep. Thankfully, in Belgium we only have a ‘light lockdown’, and can walk or cycle more or less freely so long as we don’t gather together.

The daily routine starts on my porch, as I relax with a mug of coffee while looking out over my own and other adjacent gardens. Never have I had so much time to observe the resident pair of Magpies as they compete for local territory with a pair of Carrion Crows. The Jackdaws exhibit less conspicuous behaviour, and are doing their best to cover their nesting site in a neighbouring chimney, while Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers invariably call as they fly overhead. Besides this action, there is an abundance of singing and displaying passerines: House Sparrows, Goldcrests, Wrens, Blackbirds, Robins and Greenfinches together with recently arrived migrants such as Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. Spring definitely is in full swing!

To stretch my legs, I then cycle to a nearby marsh that functions as a storage area during spring floods. After February’s heavy rains, this newly made wetland was totally underwater, but now, depending the time of day and tides, it’s a changing habitat of temporary mudflats with adjacent willow bushes, reed beds, tussocks and marshland divided by a network of creeks. It’s amazing how quickly birds and other wildlife occupy such new, artificially created habitat!

Although I’ve been visiting the area for a couple of years, I’ve been seeing more than ever before during lockdown. As well as visiting far more frequently, I am also more focused and intent on enjoying everything I come across; as a result, I’ve been finding some wonderful species, including Garganey, Mediterranean Gull, Spoonbills and Bluethroat – all in full summer plumage and displaying. Other migrants and new arrivals have been Osprey, Great White Egret, Purple Heron, Marsh Harrier, Black Kite, White Stork, Savi’s Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Ring Ouzel. A Peregrine visits the area too on a regular basis, hunting wildfowl and pigeons. Although the Stoat I’ve seen here before hasn’t showed up yet, the discovery of beavers right in the centre of the marsh was quite the surprise!

Besides quite a big lodge, the animals have also constructed a dam. Their engineering prowess has created a pool with a constant water level considerably higher than that of the scattered ponds elsewhere in the marsh. At dusk one afternoon, as I waited for the animals to appear, several flocks of Teal and Shoveler flew in to spend the night on the pool, a group of Sand Martins arrived to roost in a reedbed bordering the lodge, and a Grey Heron successfully speared a Roach. It felt marvellous to watch such a vibrant wildlife scene just a short biking distance from my home! However, despite several twilight vigils, I haven’t spotted the beavers themselves so far. With my experience in the Belgian Ardennes, their absence is not a surprise to me as Beavers are much more nocturnal up here. Furthermore, as the nights remain long in early April, there are more opportunities to concentrate their activity within the hours of darkness. I’m sure I’ll see them eventually!

Besides the lodge, these giant rodents give away their presence by leaving brightly coloured, freshly gnawed willow twigs – typical riverine vegetation here. They also create distinctive corridors through the marsh, which serve to connect the river and their feeding areas: a nearby oxbow lake, patches of woodland, and even old cornfields. All of these feeding habitats are separated from the lodge by an artificial dike; this is open to the public, but although the beavers aren’t that hard to detect, most of the passing hikers, joggers and cyclists will completely miss the presence of Europe’s heaviest rodent! I find this remarkable, as these floating mammals are more than one metre in length, tail included.

These experiences have helped remind me that, despite the lockdown and my inability to travel to my favourite wild places around the world, there is so much to enjoy on my doorstep. This has been reinforced by another exciting recent discovery – Wolves have begun recolonising Flanders! This is just remarkable because the Flemish part of Belgium is by far the most heavily populated area of the country. Besides some loners trotting around, we also have a resident pair, present largely within the safety of a military zone closed to the public. It’s actually the second year in row they have been there, but last year the pregnant alpha female - known as Naya – was tragically and illegally shot by hunters. But despite man’s best efforts to exterminate them, you just can’t stop the return of these smart and brave beasts! With the appearance of a new female last December, the local male, August, has company again.

Although untouched wilderness is a thing of the past in most of Europe, the vast mosaic of agricultural fields and forestry that has replaced it actually sustains higher ungulate densities than old growth forests. So, for apex predators like Wolves, there is potentially more prey than ever. Having had protected status in Europe for several decades, as well as being adaptable and tolerant of human activity, Wolves are rapidly reclaiming their former territories across the continent. Coupled with a deeper understanding of ecology and ecosystems, and a growing green conscience in the public, it is great to notice that Wolves are beginning to thrive again! The biggest example of their recovery in Western Europe is the German population. The first German pups in recent history were only born in 2000, but today there are no fewer than 105 packs in the country. In addition to these packs (each containing 3 – 11 individuals) additional monitoring identified 25 more Wolf pairs and 13 loners. So yes, we have something to look forward to in Belgium! However, we must not be naïve. Sadly, Wolves are still killed, both legally and illegally, so tracking them remains a real challenge as these social animals are shy, elusive, and extremely smart – as they have to be! In a world where people are selfish, just like to hunt things, and suffer from irrational fears based on ancient myths, these amazing creatures must overcome great challenges if they are to succeed, but there is no doubt that they can.

While I am greatly enjoying what’s on my doorstep, I do of course look forward to the day when I can take my Naturetrek groups back to Poland and Finland in search of Europe’s most wonderful wildlife. Maybe you can join me!

Jan

Courting Couple give Manager Sleepless Night, 7th May.

With a courting Nepalese couple making the most of a balmy summer’s night out in the peaceful grounds of Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge, manager Marcus Cotton, around whose cottage they chose to cavort, endured a disturbed night. Courting Leopards tend, after all, to be exceedingly noisy and not easily distracted. At least his camera trap revealed the culprits, though posing for a full-framer was not foremost on their minds. Not bad for a lockdown garden tick!

Marcus Cotton, manager and co-owner of Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge, has lived in Nepal for over thirty years. Here he offers a personal view of life in lockdown, both in Nepal generally and, particularly, from within the grounds of a lodge much loved by many Naturetrek visitors.

First, all our best wishes to our former guests, future guests, and all the splendid team at Naturetrek UK. We really appreciate the concerns, fears, and frustrations we are all enduring because of this horrible virus. Yet, as is so often the case, many positives emerge from the seeds of adversity. We are seeing such increased awareness of our natural environment and the damage done by our consumption; our famous city sights empty of tourists and the reclaiming of cities by their residents. This virus has given us an amazing generational opportunity to pause, recalibrate and rethink tourism. We all very much hope that true sustainability will be prioritised as a result and the days of lip-service and greenwashing will truly be ended.

Some good news: so far, and that is the big caveat, Nepal has only 31 cases and no deaths, with testing being rapidly escalated – from a few hundred two weeks ago to almost 30,000 tests as of 18/04/20. A strict lockdown is a tough yet necessary approach to slow infection rates and ensure the Nepal medical services, such as they are, can cope. Most of the public understand this and are supportive of the efforts of government, charities, and private sector to mitigate the difficulties this causes. For those on daily wages and living, very much, a hand-to-mouth existence, there is no denying that times are exceedingly difficult.

UK charities are eager to support food aid and similar. While laudable, we do not support this at all. There are many reasons, high among them, abuse of who receives the benefit, with too much aid going to the unentitled and the real deserving not having access to distributions. Also, charity is lovely, but it provides an excuse for government to evade and shirk its own responsibility to the people – we all pay our taxes for these emergency services to be provided in the hour of need. The government of Nepal may not be rich, but it can afford to do this, therefore the charity approach is fundamentally wrong. Also, the grassroots of democracy are not reinforced (elected government is a new concept in Nepal) if government does not get forced to step up and undertake its duties. We recommend supporters to fund charities undertaking long-term projects in Nepal that build on the foundations of government work already underway – for example enhancing educational provision in government schools.

Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge

Now to lockdown life at Tiger Mountain: we said farewell to our last guests on 23rd March, the day before the lockdown started. At the time, one third of staff were (and continue) on duty at the lodge, two thirds are on leave or working from home. Having experienced since 1989, domestic political unrest, Gulf Wars, Maoist insurgency, more political unrest, trade-union political agitation and a major earthquake, we have learnt to keep a tidy sum aside for adverse situations! Thus, all staff are on full pay irrespective of duty for an initial six months from mid-March to mid-August. Thereafter we can review the situation. The staff do so much to make Tiger Mountain the comfortable, secure, friendly, and professional oasis that it is, this is the least the owners can do to offer support during the challenges we all face.

As in many places we have seen the air clearing, beautiful mountain views at a time of year when haze used to predominate; we enjoy the amazing silence and respite from human-induced noise to the extent that we stopped and stared when we heard an aeroplane! The noise of birdsong and insect life is over-powering in the spring and so lovely. We have one guide on duty, Hari Bhandari, and he does regular walks around the lodge grounds, often with other staff interested to learn, checking the birds seen and logging them. On 9th May we will record all sightings and upload to the Cornell University e-Bird for their Global Big Day bird count. The guides enjoy supporting this citizen science. Recently, Hari heard a Blue-naped Pitta (Hydromis nipalensis) calling close by the main lodge. Hari called us and we spent over an hour struggling to catch a glimpse of the bird happily calling away in dense undergrowth…. the very devil!

Our annual Buddleia Bush (B. cylindrica) butterfly count ended shortly after the lockdown, 27th March, with some good records over the 48 days with only three days lost to rain. We had one new species for Tiger Mountain, Tree Yellow (Gandaca harina assamica) and two rare sightings not seen for several years: Elwes Pied Flat (Coladenia agnoides) and Chestnut Angle (Odontoptilum angulata angulata) Peacock Royal (Tajuria cippus cippus). Although the sightings started slowly – probably as we started as soon as we saw a butterfly on the early flowers – numbers and diversity are much as in the past: 961 occurrences (high 1,048 and low 851).

On 8th April, Hari Bhandari heard crows making a din and went to investigate. Two House Crows (Corvus splendens) were mobbing a Masked Palm Civet (Paguma larvata) trying to rest in a Chilaune Tree (Schima wallichii) beside Room 1. We managed to get a quick iPhone picture before it gave up and ran down the tree and way into the forest, fed up with the crows’ attack.

All the staff really appreciate the blessing that the 7 acres of grounds provide and sympathise with those in much more restricted settings during the lockdown. We also put the time to good use, considering how we will evolve as a result of the Coronavirus, including how we reconcile all the pundits’ dire prognostications for the need for hygiene regimes akin to those in hospital operating theatres, with the need to avoid using harmful chemicals that would destroy the abundant natural diversity we have cherished over the past 22 years; training for those weaker in English skills, time to learn more about wildlife, and so much more – rest assured we are keeping well occupied!

With all our best wishes – stay safe, stay well; this too will pass, and we all look forward to welcoming you at Tiger Mountain. Until then, we are thinking of you all, wishing you all well.

Marcus, Ishwar, Jhalak, Dol Raj, Lalu, and all the staff at Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge

A legend of his time, Tika Ram Giri hails from the jungles at the edge of Chitwan National Park in Nepal. He lives there still, with his wife, son and grandson, in the village of Sauraha. For nearly 30 years he led Naturetrek tours to every corner of the Indian subcontinent, and is Nepal’s foremost field ornithologist and naturalist. These days he leads less frequently, more often to be found with his family, with whom he runs a small guesthouse. Here he updates us on how Coronavirus is affecting his life, and those of his fellow villagers in rural Nepal. His ‘lockdown list’ may be hard to match!

First, ‘Namaste’ to you all from Chitwan National Park in Nepal, my friends, colleagues and travelling companions from Naturetrek! I have been very much worried about you all. Yes, life is not easy these days. We are also in full lockdown in Nepal, but we are very worried because most of the Nepalese people are not aware of the danger of the Coronavirus and they ignore the lockdown and walk in the street and talk and barter as they always have done. Only a few people, like my wife Gita and I, understand how dangerous Coranavirus is, and what is happening in Europe and America. We are very much worried and we stay at home, following the lockdown. Yes, we could still go out birding in the forest nearby, but I prefer that my family stay at home. I can see so many beautiful birds within our own lodge garden, and I have been counting the species seen. Between the 14th of March and the 31st March I saw 130 species from our house alone. These included Oriental Pied Hornbills; Indian, Black-naped and Black-hooded Orioles; Black-naped Monarch and Pale-chinned, Verditer, Red-throated, Asian Paradise and Grey-headed Canary Flycatchers; Orange-headed, Tickell’s and Black-throated Thrushes; Pied, Eurasian, White-throated and Stork-billed Kingfishers; Dusky, Smoky, Greenish and Hume’s Leaf Warblers; Crimson and Purple Sunbirds; Orange-breasted, Yellow-footed and Ashy-headed Green Pigeons, plus 4 species of parakeet, 4 species of myna, and many doves, drongos and bee-eaters. Plus I’ve seen some mammals from the house, like wild Asian Elephant, One-horned Rhinoceros, Wild Boar, Golden Jackal, Jungle Cat, and Spotted, Sambar and Barking Deers. I’ve also heard Tiger at night. Around the house we have mongoose, some snakes, and a few smaller bats flying. We worry; we do not know what will be the future of the tourism in Nepal. 

Very best wishes, and stay at home and stay safe. 

Good night and ‘Namaste’. Tika.