Opening the door to my cottage at just about sunrise I was greeted by a flock of noisy Red-fronted Parrots going over. Mt. Kenya, for a change, was completely visible yet in the direction there was a solid bank of clouds and a far reaching rainbow. Close to the Castle porch where we had breakfast…

On the southern slopes of Mt. Kenya at an elevation of about 7000 feet lies the Castle Forest Lodge. They have not had any rain here for 2 weeks which is unusual though by the color of the grass and forest you would not know it. Once you reach the Castle you are in a…

It took the best part of a couple of hours for Peter and I to get from Nairobi to Wajee Nature Park located in the central highlands south of Nyeri. We did stop along the road to admire a Long-crested Eagle (right) and a pair of Grey Hornbills. Wajee Nature Park is a small 22…

I took my camera this time. Lisa and I, after visiting her mom for lunch on Saturday, took a quick trip to Parvin State Park, New Jersey, in late afternoon. It was a beautiful day with clear blue skies and little wind. We chose to follow the “Green Trail” which went around the lake. We…

What does Fat Tuesday have to do with pelicans? Well, nothing really… However, Fat Tuesday in French is Mardi Gras. When we think Mardi Gras of course New Orleans comes to mind. New Orleans is in Louisiana… who’s state bird is the Brown Pelican. Okay, its a stretch but I had to make this blog…

As I contemplate returning to East Africa for the first time this year I know that I will be in for many exciting experiences while on safari in Kenya and Tanzania. Where does one start? The combination of mammals and birds is simply stupendous. Of course the cats are at the top of anyone’s list,…

Raucous American Crows can still be found in roving flocks in my neighborhood. Sometimes they number as many as twenty, but todays group consisted of about half a dozen individuals. Crows are naturally gregarious and breed in colonies known as rookeries. Roaming about together in winter makes it easier for them to locate food sources…

As we near the end of February and the evening’s chill still remains in the morning air, the days are getting longer and birds are beginning to court. Walking the neighborhood on this bright cloudless 25 degree morning a Northern Mockingbird (above) was sitting on a chimney enjoying the heat escaping out of the top.…

Here is an amusing moment from the world of competitive sports that has finally made its way from the small screen to the internet. Back at the turn of the century before he became really famous, Steve Carell was a correspondent for Jon Stewart on Comedy Centrals The Daily Show. Little did we know that…

We all have a bird that sparked our interest in the hobby we love. That one bird that made you realize that it was something special, exciting and wonderful. That one bird that got you hooked on birding. It may have been when you were younger or maybe later on in life, either way we…

Species Comparison: Common and Hoary Redpoll At the Hilda Road feeders in Shirleys Bay a handful of Common Redpolls were joined on occasion by one of two lighter colored redpolls. Notice on the Common Redpoll below that it is overall dark with heavy streaks on the flank. The bill is elongated and though we can…

We had the opportunity on this trip to study several species that were very similar and pose identification problems. Species Comparison: Common and Barrow’s Goldeneye There was a large open patch of water along an otherwise frozen Rideau River in Ottawa. From the adjacent river walk we watched these two male goldeneyes follow each other…