Black-headed Gulls swirl over floodwater which surrounds historic Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire this afternoon.

The Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin – best known as Tewkesbury Abbey – in Gloucestershire, is a parish church and a former Benedictine monastery. It is one of the finest examples of Norman architecture in Britain, and has probably the largest Romanesque crossing tower in Europe.

Tewkesbury had been a centre for worship since the 7th century, becoming a priory in the 10th. The present building was started in the early 12th century.

Tags:   Tewkesbury Abbey floods flooding Gloucestershire Britain England church holy building exterior St Mary the Virgin Benedictine monastery Norman architecture history historic

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If you watched the excellent BBC natural history programme on Puerto Rico in the West Indies, you will have seen film of the tiny Coqui. In the documentary, David Attenborough tells the story of this island's exotic but vulnerable wildlife. A team of conservation champions are making it their mission to save the most precious species.

Coquí is the common name for several species of small frogs in the Eleutherodactylus genus that are native to Puerto Rico. They are onomatopoeically named for the very loud mating call which the males of two species, the Common Coquí and the Mountain Coquí, make at night. The coquí is one of the most common frogs in Puerto Rico with more than 16 different species found within its territory.

This was one of many Common Coqui seen at TJ Ranch which could be heard calling all night long! This example climbed out of a hanging flower pot each evening after dark.

Thanks for your visit… Any comment you make on my photograph is greatly appreciated and encouraging! But please do not use this image without permission.

Tags:   Common Coqui male Eleutherodactylus TJ Ranch Puerto Rico frog West Indies Caribbean island endemic tropical neotropical David Attenborough BBC macro native

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I returned today from an 11-day tour of the West Indies island of Puerto Rico where the gorgeous Puerto Rican Tody was a star performer, giving close-up views like this on half a dozen occasions. The tiny tody is just 11cm (4.25 inches), but the adult's red throat and bright green head and back make it unmistakable. It is common and widespread from the coast to the inland mountains.

The Puerto Rican Tody is one of 17 endemic birds to be found on Puerto Rican. I managed to see 16 of them and heard the 17th - the elusive Puerto Rican Screech-owl - on three consecutive evenings, but a total of 6 birds failed to show themselves in the dense rainforest!

There are 5 species of tody, all in the Greater Antilles, and I have been fortunate to find the one on Cuba and the one on Jamaica. The other 2 species are both endemic to Hispaniola, so perhaps a trip to the Dominican Republic will beckon one day…

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Tags:   Puerto Rican Tody Todus mexicanos endemic bird rare West Indies Greater Antilles Caribbean neotropical rainforest jungle neotropic

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The striking colours of the Venezuelan Troupial make this species easy to confuse with the Baltimore Oriole. The main difference is the light blue colouring around the eye. Several were seen at TJ Ranch and elsewhere around the coast of Puerto Rico in the West Indies.

Thanks for your visit… Any comment you make on my photograph is greatly appreciated and encouraging! But please do not use this image without permission.

Tags:   Venezuelan Troupial Icterus icterus TJ Ranch Puerto Rico West Indies wild bird tropical Caribbean neotropical Baltimore Oriole

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Monk Parakeets are easy to find in Puerto Rico's capital San Juan - just go to any park and listen for their raucous squawks! This introduced species is very common and often feed with Feral Pigeons on the ground, especially where the locals put down seed and bread. This bird is feeding on a mango in a car park in Old San Juan.

Thanks for your visit… Any comment you make on my photograph is greatly appreciated and encouraging! But please do not use this image without permission.

Tags:   Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus bird Puerto Rico San Juan introduced wild Greater Antilles West Indies Caribbean tropical neotropical

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