This was an exciting day, it is not often that one gets a chance to see Mountain Gorillas! After breakfast we drove the half mile to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park headquarters at Buhoma for our pre-trek briefing. Following our orientation, we were assigned the Rushegera group and the charasmatic Omac as our guide. 16…

  If you’ve ever heard an odd, eerie trill while walking along a woodland path or even a wooded urban trail have no fear! Contrary to its it’s name, the Eastern Screech-Owl rarely screeches. Chances are that you’ve heard this wonderfully melodic and calming call without realizing it!     This small owl is one…

It was an eventfully start to our first full day, with thunderstorms and heavy rain at day break, and Johnnie, our guide, having to change a flat tire he got in the hotel car park! The hours drive to the Mabamba Wetlands, was punctuated with short stops along the dirt road for Green-throated Sunbird, Green Crombec,…

I was invited by Laura Kammermeier of Nature Travel Network and the Uganda Tourist Board to a FAM tour of Uganda’s major birding and primate destinations. Since I thoroughly enjoy East Africa it was an easy decision to make! Making the most of our mid-afternoon arrival, Ethan Kistler, Nate Swick and I spent a couple of…

Fall. Accipiters. Confusion. It is that time of year when juvenile accipiters, in particular Cooper’s Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk, show up in our backyards and have us scratching our heads as to which species it is. A year ago I put the above image up on facebook and asked which of the two accipiter’s it…

  A new Peterson Field Guide to the Birds of Northern Central America has arrived! Available this month, the new field-carry-sized guide covers the birds of Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. At first glance, the design is what we expect for today’s guides… maps and vital info on the page opposite the illustrations. Just…

  Being the most common crane in the world does not make the Sandhill Crane any less a wonder to see. A large and gray with a brilliant crimson crown, the Sandhill Crane is a spectacular bird–growing to just under four feet tall!     Migrating in large numbers, Sandhills often congregate en masse in…

  A favorite (if such a thing can be said) among Owl lovers is the pint sized Burrowing Owl. Unlike many species of Owl, the male and female Burrowing Owl are virtually identical in size. Standing at just up to ten inches tall, and weighing in at a mere six ounces, these Owls are quite…

  When wanting to see and photograph Elk, many folks envision destinations like the Grand Tetons. While the Tetons are indeed a wonderful place to view Elk and many other beautiful things, people of the eastern United States don’t necessarily have to travel across the country to view these amazing beasts!     Elk in…

  Minnesota is much more than the 10,000 lakes that make up its state nickname. It boasts a multitude of habitats — vast spans of hardwood lots, open prairie and bogs. In the winter months, Minnesota’s northern reaches turn into a boreal paradise, playing host to a wonderful array of wildlife!     This past…

  Ten miles southeast of the quaint town of Cutler, Maine, lies a true gem for birders and photographers. Machias Seal Island spans a mere twenty acres, but during the summer months, the rocky shores host thousands of breeding seabirds. Most notable among them is the Atlantic Puffin.     The island is contested, claimed…

After a cloudy week the sun returned on a crisp early January day. While the huge numbers of Bald Eagles seen at Conwingo Dam, Maryland a month ago had dwindled to just a handful, there was still an opportunity to get to see these majestic birds up close. We got there just in time to…