As we descend from the Highlands our view is tremendous. The Lemakarot Crater towers to our east, Oldupai Gorge is ahead of us and beyond that, the endless plains of the Serengeti National Park. Once we have reached the short grass plains that dominate this side of the Serengeti, we encounter our first taste of…

A female Tufted Duck (above far right), first found by Holly Merker on March 18, continues to be seen. In the presence of Ring-necked Ducks, Ruddy Ducks, a Greater Scaup and few Mallards and Northern Shovelors, she is relatively easy to separate and identify. In spite of its name, the tuft is not always visible,…

The largest concentration of predators in the world is believed to exist within the crater, with the highest numbers belonging to the much maligned opportunists, the Spotted Hyenas. A vehicle spotted along a track peeked our curiosity enough for us to stop and see what might be around. Amongst a thick patch of perennials we…

By late afternoon we had reached the end of the tarmac at the newly constructed entrance gate to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. From here we began our ascent, winding our way for 4 miles through the dense Northern Highland Forest Reserve towards the Ngorongoro Crater rim. The crater is set within a forested mountain range…

Our game drives took us on parts of three circuits each giving us a taste for the diverse flora and fauna of the park. The eastern edge of the Burungi circuit had us following the river south through acacia savannah and doum palms (above) in the area known as Matete, named after the tall elephant…

The terrain soon changed as we descended in elevation from Arusha to Tarangire National Park. Set within the eastern Rift Valley, Tarangire’s rolling hills and small valleys are dominated by Umbrella Acacias and clusters of giant Baobabs (above) and punctuated by endless tall rich green grasslands. While elephants seemed to be everywhere, Zebras, Wildebeest and…

While I was globetrotting around the world earlier this year, it was bought to my attention by our good friend Jeff Wahl, that the February 2010 issue of Birder’s World magazine contained a letter about Birding the Dry Tortugas, written by Jay Huner. Fort Jefferson on Garden Key, Dry Tortugas National Park As you may…

Shortly after entering Tanzania through the border town of Namanga, Mount Meru, Africa’s fifth tallest peak at 14,990 feet dominated the horizon in front of us. At the base of the mountain, on the northern side, lies the Lariboro Plains (above), a dry windswept expanse of short grass that colorful Maasai take full advantage of,…

We began our trip in Amboseli National Reserve, south of Nairobi, on the Kenya-Tanzania border. Mount Kilimanjaro (above), Africa’s highest peak at 19,341 feet, and the highest free standing mountain in the world, lies just across the border in Tanzania, yet it dominates the Amboseli landscape. Elephants abound in Amboseli National Reserve, and large tuskers…

I returned to the glorious wildlife-rich countries of Kenya and Tanzania in February with a wonderful small group of friends from the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC), and joined Ben in leading another outstanding safari. Erica, Alison, Scott and Colin enjoying photographing the antics of Vervet Monkeys at Ol Tukai Lodge Over the course of…

Following days of dreary and damp weather, the sun is now shining, the birds are in full song, and a couple of beautiful Fox Sparrows have put in an appearance at the backyard feeders. These two stunning birds them seem very content scratching away amongst the leaf litter and grass below the feeding station, where…

Gentoo Penguin © Martha Thomae Lisa and I are off to Antarctica tomorrow! The ‘Ice Continent’ has been on both our bucket-lists for a long time, and our dream of visiting this far-off land is coming to fruition! The image of the Gentoo Penguin was taken a couple years ago by my friend and tour…