I spent this very warm morning at John Heinz NWR at Tinicum where there was a great deal of activity to be seen. Breeding birds were very evident with American Robins seen carrying mud to their nests as well as flying away from their nests with fecal sacs. Baltimore Oriole, Gray Catbirds and Eastern Kingbirds…

Our final landing, shortened by our incredible Leopard Seal encounter, was no less spectacular. Bergy bits (yes, that is their technical name!) of many sizes covered the shoreline making for difficult footing. Then they came… Gentoo Penguins surrounded us seeming to bid us farewell. Obviously cautious to enter the water so soon after multiple attacks…

If you have not heard about this forthcoming ID Guide, I recommend that you check it out. I feel that this is going to take bird identification to a whole new level, as it takes into consideration size, structure, shape, and behavior. Click on The Crossley ID Guide  This link takes you to the Barnes…

After the Leopard Seal’s Gentoo Penguin attack the gulls came in to feast on the scraps. This juvenile Kelp gull came close to our zodiac for some choice tidbits. Our hearts still racing as the Leopard Seal swam amidst our boats, we turned and headed toward shore for our final Antarctic landing of the trip.…

We are delighted to have the latest WILDSIDE NATURE TOURS 2010/2011 BROCHURE now available on-line and ready for you to download. Our catalog features over 20 pages of full color photographs, and detailed descriptions for all of our destinations covering 6 continents and over 100 tour dates. Please visit our website to download a copy…

SPLASH! As our crippled motor pushed us slowly ahead, a Leopard Seal lunged on a Gentoo Penguin swimming nearby! We witnessed an amazing even of predator vs. prey! The seal would explode upon the hapless penguin, seeming to enjoy the ‘game’ until the skin of the penguin tore… Then the penguin appeared to turn inside…

With our recent adventures I did not get to finish my Antarctica blog… so we continue now! We awoke to sunny blue skies as we entered Neumayer Channel and the scenery was spectacular as usual! The ship’s bridge offered warm respite from the crisp morning as the breeze came across the frozen mountains. The icy…

On the last full day of our Philippines Fam Tour, we were roused early to take a 15-minute outrigger boat (above) ride from the sandy beach in front of our resort. Our destination was the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. The park features a limestone karst mountain landscape, with the world’s second-longest underground navigable…

We spent the last days of our Philippine Fam Tour on the long, narrow island province of Palawan. This is probably the best-preserved major island group in the Philippines, well-known for it’s stunning seascapes, rainforests, caves and coral reefs. It may have looked familiar to those who saw James Bond’s Tomorrow Never Dies, which was…

On the sixth day of our Philippine Fam Tour, we arrived at Mactan Island, just east of Cebu, staying several nights at the lovely Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort. There, we feasted on expansive buffet meals, served by very gracious staff.  Striking Zebra Doves (above) were common around the grounds, while Pink-necked Green-Pigeons came into the…

We spent an afternoon and morning at Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape, a popular destination for birders. This 9,000 hectare national park is characterized by rolling hills with remnant natural forest on steep limestone terrain, surrounded by plantations, deforested area and grassland. In the opening glade, we found Bi-colored, Red-keeled (above), Pygmy and Orange-breasted Flowerpeckers feeding…

My 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee has reached a major milestone… 250,000 miles! Over the years she has treated me well, with no unexpected major repairs (rebuilt the transmission at 200K… certainly not unexpected!). The raptor silhouettes were made for me by travel client and friend Ginny Blanz. They have been on my Jeep for at…