Author: Frances Monroe

A university campus that serves as a haven for some of the rarest animals on the planet has a subtle allure. The majority of people associate Ateneo de Manila University with academic rigor, Jesuit tradition, and lecture halls. Few are aware that a living, breathing dedication to Philippine wildlife can be found tucked away within its verdant corridors and forest patches; in recent months, this dedication has produced news worthy of celebration. The hatching of Chick #32, now known as Bayani—the Filipino word for hero—was recently announced by the Philippine Eagle Foundation. The Philippine Eagles Dakila and Sinag gave birth…

It takes some getting used to the Somerset Levels’ unique quiet. The marsh is rarely silent, so it’s not exactly silence, but rather a slowness and the impression that the environment is running on its own schedule. Writer and naturalist Stephen Moss moved to the Levels, a low-lying stretch of wetland that lies below sea level and floods with a kind of indifference to human inconvenience, after leaving London and a lengthy BBC career. What he discovered there is older than most conservation frameworks can explain, and he has spent years trying to preserve it. The BAFTA-winning BBC series Springwatch,…

In the summer, a certain silence descends upon the English countryside that seems out of place. Not tranquil—incorrect. In July, the scratchy, looping song of a skylark soaring overhead should be heard in a lowland meadow in Hampshire or Wiltshire. Its characteristic calls should cut through the afternoon as its lapwings tilt in the wind over rough grassland. It has neither more and more. For decades, the numbers underlying that silence have been accumulating, and they are not getting better. Since the 1970s, England’s farmland bird indicator, a composite measure that tracks dozens of species throughout agricultural land, has been…

The majority of Indians have never seen and are unable to identify a large, dark pigeon that lives in the high forests of the Western Ghats. It lives in the type of dense, mist-draped montane forest that has been dwindling for decades, feeds on canopy fruits, and has a characteristic checkerboard pattern on the back of its neck. According to a study that was published earlier this year in the Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy, the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon’s future appears to be much worse than its current state of conservation would indicate. The study projected habitat suitability…

Observing a swan die is unsettling in some way. They glide through the water with an effortless serenity that gives them a sense of permanence and elevates them above the typical laws of nature. This is one of the reasons why what transpired at the West India and Millwall docks in late February left such a lasting impression on those who saw it, and it soon attracted attention well beyond the east end of London. Over the course of a few days, over thirty dead swans were discovered in the waterways surrounding London’s Docklands. This led to an immediate investigation…

Missing a shot because the camera was unable to keep up causes a certain kind of frustration. The autofocus hunts, hesitates, and then the moment is gone as a bird leaps from a branch, its wings opening in an instant. Nearly all wildlife photographers experience it at some point. However, over the past few years, it has become less common for people using Canon EOS bodies. It’s no coincidence that bird photographers have come to rely on the Canon EOS lineup. Canon has spent years fine-tuning autofocus performance for subjects that move quickly and are unpredictable. In particular, the EOS…

It becomes clear why people travel halfway around the world to stand in this forest at a certain point on the trail to the Philippine Eagle’s watchpoint on Mount Kitanglad. This point is likely around 5,000 feet, with the air becoming slightly thinner and flocks of mixed species moving through the trees next to you. Ticking a species is not the only thing involved. It is more difficult to identify. Between the trailhead and the first Sulphur-billed Nuthatch, visitors often feel the cumulative weight of the approximately 266 bird species that are unique to the Philippines. The country covers an…

A color-blind man who devoted his life to color photography has a subtly amazing quality. Romy Ocon’s story revolves around this paradox, which may be what makes it worthwhile to share. Ocon, a self-taught Filipino nature photographer known online and in photography circles as “Liquidstone,” spent years exploring the country’s wetlands, rainforests, mountain trails, and island coastlines in order to capture the wild birds of the Philippines. He had no formal training in the arts. Before giving it all up, he pursued a career as a concrete technologist, received training as a civil engineer, and managed a company for years.…

In online photography forums, there is a dialogue that occurs almost constantly. After realizing that their ball head is ineffective for tracking birds in flight, someone picks up a 500mm lens and begins inquiring about gimbal heads. First up is the Wimberley. Then the cost does. Then someone brings up the Benro GH2, and someone else subtly suggests the Manfrotto 393. Suddenly, there are fifteen opinions in the thread, and there is no obvious winner. The argument is well-known. To be honest, there are valid points on both sides. In terms of engineering, the Manfrotto 393 is not a true…

Every wildlife photographer has experienced the moment when a bird lands, the light is ideal, and the camera just can’t keep up. In just 0.5 seconds, the shot you envisioned is gone. It affects novices, enthusiasts, and sometimes professionals who tried their luck with equipment that wasn’t quite appropriate for the task. It’s actually difficult to choose the best camera for wildlife photography, and the marketing jargon doesn’t help. Sensor size, burst rates, and megapixel counts are all important, but not always in the ways that manufacturers recommend. A few things quickly become apparent after watching seasoned field photographers and…