This fall, Kevin Loughlin will be teaching some local classes through the Main Line School Nights.A four-part Nature Photography Workshop will begin on September 23 at 1:00pm. This class is designed for those who already know the basics of aperture and shutter speed but want to hone their skills with professional nature photography techniques. $85…

The Monarch Butterflies are laying their last eggs and will soon begin their incredible journey south! For this season they are approaching their 8th generation or so… and this generation will have that special gene that tells them to depart North America and fly off to the mountains of Mexico! Why does this happen? How…

Our final Galapagos blog installment takes us to South Plaza, a tiny island off the coast of Santa Cruz. Covered in sesuvium that was changing color to conserve water, the island looked like an Autumn landscape. The Opuntia or Prickly Pear Cactus is abundant here and is the staple food for the Galapagos Land Iguana.…

Collared Aracari © Kevin Loughlin Kevin Loughlin will be giving a presentation titled BELIZE: A Birding Bonanza tonight, August 24, at 7:30PM at the Peace Valley Nature Center in Doylestown, PA. A special trip offer will also be given to presentation attendees! Join Kevin for this informative exploration of Belize through colorful images made during…

Photo by Kevin Loughlin along Little Falls Trail in Promised Land State Park The annual Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Reunion will be held this Saturday, August 21, at Promised Land State Park in Pike County, PA. This is the 77th Anniversary of the establishment of the Civilian Conservation Corps camp S-139 at Promised Land State…

Back to the island of Santa Cruz to explore the mangroves of Black Turtle Cove on the northwest corner of the island. Blue-footed Boobies line the shores alongside the Sally Lightfoot Crabs. Inside the protected cove, Brown Noddies wait for pelicans to catch a meal, then try to grab some scraps… often perching on the…

The island of Bartolomé became famous through the movie ‘Master and Commander‘ starring Russell Crowe. Last year it was the site of my proposal to my new wife, Lisa! The volcanic soil supports little life, mainly tequila (nothing to do with alcohol!), the silvery, fine-leafed plant in the above image. A few Lava Cactus have…

North Seymour is a tiny island across a channel from Baltra, home island of the military base and one of the tourist airports. From the western shore of the island one can view the Daphnes — Daphne Major (top center in the image above) and Daphne Minor (mostly hidden, to the right). The Daphnes earned…

Santa Cruz Island is hope to the Darwin Station, a research center dedicated to preserving the wildlife of the Galapagos Islands. Here they have a Giant Tortoise breeding program that raises tortoises to be introduced back to their respective genetic home island. The well known resident, Lonesome George, can be seen in his huge enclosure,…

On the other side of the island is a wonderful clear bay full of rays! Dozens of them! They zip about in the shallow water leaving a trail of sand in their wake. As we watched the rays, a Galapagos Shark swam by in the shallow cove. No one wanted to go swimming… which was…

Floreana’s ghost forest adorns the hills. Palo Santo tree drop their leaves during the Garua season (summer months) but become lush and green again during the rainy season (winter months). The Garua season offers a wonderful morning mist that burns off by breakfast time. It is the coolest time of year in the Galapagos rarely…

The Post Office, decorated with gaudy scraps of wood, a few animal skulls and some other discarded matter, had rather humble beginnings that have become a Galapagos tradition. Sailors passing through the region during the 1800’s would leave letters in an old rum barrel on what became known as Post Office Bay. Other sailors passing…