Ambos Mundos Hotel Lobby The Ambos Mundos Hotel was at dead center of Old Havana and close to the cruise ship docks. I generally do not tread tourist paths and would rather have been away from them after the second day. I had an outside room on the fourth floor I so did not hear […]
On international birding tours, we are after birds. Any cultural experiences must fit into our packed birding schedule. In my travels, these exposures to local customs have been fascinating, educational and sometimes frustrating. One dinner in the Okavango Delta was not one of the best. Lilac Breasted Roller Our first dinner at !Xigera Lodge in […]
Our guide had warned us that it might be a few hours wait before we could cross the Zambezi River from Botswana into Zambia. I feared the worst as we passed more than fifty large truck and trailer rigs parked on the side of the road. A few drivers languished near the rigs, but many […]
The Author Bhutan is one of those mysterious countries that has drawn my interest for years. Isolated and self-sufficient, it is located between two giants, India and China. How did it maintain its seemingly peaceful existance against pressures to trade, to modernize and to engage in the global melee that has destroy so many other […]
Our bus slammed to a halt. A flash of color disappeared over the lip of the heavily forested road. The driver whispered, “Blood Pheasant”. Motor off, he added, “He will return. There is no hunting in this country so they are not afraid.” Giddy with anticipation, eyes riveted on the open space before us, we […]
Tawny Frogmouth Janet de Morgan The nocturnal Tawny Frogmouth is most easily described by saying it is Sesame Street’s Oscar the Grouch with feathers, a big mouth and rather sloppy looking. The name alone demands attention. We were fortunate that the bird felt right at home in a camp ground resting after a night of […]
Forty Spotted Pardalote Birds of Australia, Ken Simpson, Nicolas Day Seeing this bird is a big deal for anyone, even the people who live on Bruny Island, the dot of land that dangles off the southern tip of Tasmania. Once birders get past jokes about how many spots were really counted on this tiny foliage […]
Sarus Crane (l) and Brolga (r) Birds of Australia, Ken Simpson, Nicolas Day These tall cranes, grey with red on their heads, bring to mind our own Sand Hill Crane. The two species often are found mixed together in flocks and look similar, with long crane legs and a heavy, silver-grey body. Through a spotting […]
Harriet with a Baby Wombat Birding offers more than just seeing a new species of bird to add to a list. At home and in exotic places birds can seem as complex as people and occasionally the behavior of birders themselves add richness to the experience. A bird plays a key role in these memories […]
Cradle Mountain Janet de Morgan In northern Tasmania we encountered the raven-like Black Currawong, a cousin to the Grey Currawong we had seen in Sydney. The bill is heavier and longer, the body leaner with some white on the end of its tail. They hung around the lodge and picnic areas in search of meals […]
Spa Party In the Antarctic region, there are two reasons to go ashore: to see a penguin colony or to see a spot of historical interest. Men and penguins look for the same thing for a settlement: early snow melt and some protection from the elements. Penguins also want a good food source, which the […]
Aboard ship with tabular icebergs Antarctica: remote, inhospitable and alluring. I didn’t want to spend a winter in a stone hut eating boot leather and penguins, as stranded whalers had to do, or slogging over chunky ice pulling a boat full of supplies, like the Shackelton expedition, but I did want to walk where they […]
Tuesday, August 30, 1966 Mwanza Dear Mom, Sukuma Chief’s House (abandoned) For the three days after I got back, the weather was cool and rainy or overcast. On Sunday, twenty-seven teachers from Mwanza, including six from Bwiru, were going of a field trip to learn about the local culture, so I hoped we would not […]
Saturday, November 26 Dear Carol, Banded Mongooses The girls are off for home, and we have almost two month’s break. Kay and I are staying here for a while before driving to Kampala, where she will visit friends and I will go to the Peace Corps doc and dentist. Thence to Nairobi to meet you […]