Bohol was the second island we visited, during our fam tour of the Philippines. We arrived via a short plane ride from Manila, eager to explore the tropical landscape. One of the main attractions was the enticingly-named Chocolate Hills (above), an unusual geological feature formed ages ago by the interactions of rainwater, erosion and coral…

Subic Bay was among the most interesting and historic places we visited in the Philippines. Located 100km northwest of Manila Bay, Subic Bay (below) served first as a strategic port for the Spanish, then as an important base for American military operations in the Pacific. In June 1991, the Mount Pinatubo volcano erupted 20 miles away with…

We spent 3 full days of our Philipines fam tour exploring Luzon, the largest island, and home to the capitol city of Manila. Most of the country’s mountainous islands are covered in tropical rainforest and volcanic in origin. Driving in and out of the traffic-congested metropolitan area provided ample opportunity for us to ogle the…

Similar to the image from my first Maine blog entry, this image was taken at the same place, but on a brighter, less foggy day. I much prefer the more apparent crispness of the puffin as well as the wonderful blue of the water and the birds reflection. Our ship, the Wanderbird, is in the…

photos © Kevin Loughlin

I just completed a 10-day tour of the Philippines as a guest of the country’s tourism board. Eight bird tour leaders and two media persons from across the United States came together for this “fam trip” to explore and familiarize ourselves with this intriguing island nation. We were graciously hosted by native-born birding and travel…

The Maine Coast is known for its fog. Here are a few of my favorite images in the mist… photos © Kevin Loughlin

Our trip began with a few stops on the way to the harbor to enjoy the beautiful lupine and other wildflowers. We also came across 6 species of butterflies that tested our patience as they never sat still. This ragged looking Ringlet, a northern species, was found on a cooler day and was unprepared to…

It is amazing how quickly the weather in Maine can change… if you don’t like it, wait five minutes! The image above looks as though it could have been taken in the Caribbean. Taken less than 90 minutes later along the same stretch of beach, the fog had rolled in and obscured the distant trees.…

I am taking a short hiatus from writing the Antarctic blog as I am currently on a 90 foot yacht off the coast of Maine! The yacht was converted 7 years ago from a fishing trawler that can now accommodate up to 12 passengers plus crew. We have spent one morning with the puffins so…

Now a museum showcasing Antarctic station life, Port Lockroy was British ‘Base A’ during WWII. The above image is of the kitchen left as it was in the 1940s. Our expected Gentoos stood sentinel to a locked, red door. The station is typically manned during the daylight months, however, we arrived a couple weeks after…

Our Gentoos greeted us once again, this time on Danco Island. The penguins inhabited the island at all levels, from the edge of the sea up to the peak. Antarctic Terns gracefully filled the skies over our landing site. In breeding, they would have a full, black cap. Unlike the Arctic Terns, they do not…