Capturing the Moment

  2 MIN READ 354 WORDS Wondering Tattler stalking through the tidepools. Koloko-Honokohau National Historic Park is a real hidden gem here on the Kona coast of the Big Island, Hawaii. There was an entire village here, surrounding very important fish ponds, including fresh water springs which would have been vital to life in ancient Hawaii. Lava flows, including one from 200 years ago, have flattened most of the village, but some historical remnants remain. The salt water fish ponds now play home to hungry sea turtles and migrating shore birds. The inland brackish pond is home to endemic waterfowl like Hawaiian coots and Hawaiian black necked stilts. Bird enthusiast are learning that this can be a wonderful place for bird watching. I've seen 18 species of birds here in the span of one morning. You have the benefit of having different ecosystems including offshore, coastal, tide pools, a strip of forest, and a brackish pond. The more ecosystems they have, the more diversity of animal...

Lilac Breasted Roller Verreaux's Eagle Owl Chanting Goshawk  Our first two game parks here in Kenya were Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks. The group encountered lots of big game like elephants, lions, and water buffalo, but some of the most colorful and surprising animals may have been some of the smallest. It didn't take long for the group to realize that the birds here in Kenya are absolutely gorgeous. And even though they aren't on all the tshirts and postcards they can be just as exciting to find and photograph. Yellow breasted Starling Superb Starling  It didn't take long for everyone to become budding ornithologist. Africa birds strike again. Marshal Eagle Marshal Eagle with a kill Long Tailed Shrikes Ostrich Bee Eater

Bird Watching in Kenya   With over 1,000 species of birds East Africa can be a birders dream trip. You can find them in all sizes from the tiny ruby breasted sunbird to the heaviest flying bird, the kory bustard. They come in every color imaginable and some you have probably never imagined before. The experienced birder will be in birding heaven, but what I also see happen here time and time again is novice birders get hooked on bird watching and gain a lifelong passion. Bateleur Eagle Combing birding and photography is also a wonderful challenge in a place like Kenya. You may end up seeing six different species of eagles on one game drive. The birds-of-prey are often out hunting over the plains and perched up in the acacia trees. The brightly colored bateleur eagle ( Terathopius ecaudatus ) is always a favorite with its orange and yellow beak contrasting its dark body feathers. Lilac Breasted Roller European Roller   My ultimate Kenyan bird species to ...

From top to bottom Argentina is a bird lovers paradise. Recently Heidi and I traveled across Argentina searching for beautiful views, hikes, and of course wildlife. We knew that incredible hikes to glaciers, mountain vistas, lakes, and waterfalls existed across the country but we were surprised at the amazing birdwatching opportunities. Austral Parakeet near Ushuaia      The same places you travel for amazing views; Ushuaia , El Calafate, El Chalten, and Iguazu are the same places that birders 'in the know' travel for big time bird watching. The different environments change from cold ocean in Ushuai, to desert and freshwater lakes in Patagonia, to tropical jungle in Iguazu. Because of this the opportunities to see very different bird species change as well, from penguins down south to toucans up north. Tern hovering over the water Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego National Park: We will start down south in Ushuaia , the southernmost city in the world. Here a ...