A day after Christmas: Cape Longclaw

Cape Longclaw walking on tufty grass foraging for food

After deciding not to do any birding on Christmas day, I set off on the day thereafter for some few hours of birding. There was not much to be seen as far as birds were concerned. I guess, most of the spots, where I do my birding, were deserted due to holiday picnics. There were only empty bottles and tins to the aftermath.
Amids the litter, the Cape Longclaw caught my eye. I could not resist the  orange throat but to have a shot at it 

Climate ChangeTalks have come and gone

Hi everyone,

Great to be back again. Well, I do not have any photos this time for you, my adorable readers, due to a minor eye operation I had two weeks ago. Anyway, I am fine after a restful short-break.

In the mean time, a lot has taken place including the Climate Change Talks which were held down here in South Africa at Durban.

In support of our feathered friends; the climate issue is of grave concern. We cannot ignore the fact that in some parts of our world, bird migratory patterns have already started altering. Everyone is saying "It's all about climate change."

Let me share the following with you for a CHANGE from BirdLife International Community website.

Happy Holidays

Special plea by Bird Life International to the talks:

Bird Life’s 6 key “asks” for the Durban Conference:
1. Secure a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, and secure a mandate to negotiate a legally binding instrument to be adopted no later than 2015;
2. Agree modalities and guidance for halting emissions from deforestation and degradation by 2020, whilst safeguarding biodiversity and livelihoods;
3. Agree robust and transparent rules for accounting for emissions from the land use, land use change and forestry sector that reflect emissions actually released to the atmosphere;
4. Account fully for emissions from bio energy;
5. Agree modalities for national adaptation planning that deliver to vulnerable groups and ecosystems;
6. Establish a pathway to deliver adequate finance to the new Green Climate Fund from 2013.

For a full story follow this link:
http://www.birdlife.org/community/2011/11/birdlife-calls-on-governments-to-deliver-in-durban-climate-change-talks/

This was the ultimate outcome:
“Durban has kept alive and opened the political space to negotiate a fair, ambitious and binding deal but much still needs to be worked out. Parties must approach the negotiations from 2012 with a renewed sense of urgency, increasing their ambition in terms of emission reductions, and putting these pledges firmly on the table.”

For a full story follow this link:
http://www.birdlife.org/community/2011/12/roadmap-to-a-new-global-agreement-%e2%80%93-what-did-durban-deliver-for-our-climate/

Hope there's a light at the end of the tunnel for our feathered friends as well.