Hey, Good Looking! in North America

Hey, Good Looking! in North America - This most majestic brown bear is caught in a reflective moment in the spectacular Misty Fjords National Monument of South-East Alaska.

Photo of the Week - Osprey Family

Photo of the Week - Osprey Family - Driving around within the Rockies, we have a tendency to noticed variety of cars stopped on an innocuous river bridge. Curiously, we have a tendency to turned off to envision what was happening to seek out a family of ospreys nesting and frequently feeding from the river below. Mum swooped majestically to pluck a fish from the chilly waters below. 

the kids weren't nonetheless totally fledged however were commencing to flap their wings. Their sharp eyes swept left and right, patrolling the surroundings viewing the camera-wielding humans with suspicion. What an excellent place for a nest.

Photo of the Week - Toucan (South America)

Photo of the Week - Toucan (South America) - Our tiny cluster had walked for an hour in extreme humidity and climbed a rickety, picket tower to be at the peak of the tree-tops. We'd been standing around for an extra hour with very little activity when a toucan fluttered into a so much branch. The photo is taken at most zoom, scanned in and then zoomed some a lot of with Photoshop, that makes it a bit bit hazy. however the thrill of seeing this most iconic South yank bird with its outsized beak and vibrant plumage was one thing i'll forever keep in mind. some minutes later it flew away however those couple of minutes are to be treasured.

We were told it absolutely was a red bill toucan however as long as the bill is black, yellow and blue which the sole red could be a tiny dash on its breast and tail, I've never been terribly convinced. perhaps somebody who is aware of their toucans will make sure that species of toucan it truly is.

The Fall Kaleidoscope (New England, USA)

natural wonders, North America, travel wonders, USA

Matobo National Park in central Zimbabwe is a wild rock-strewn travel wonder. With small areas of dry grasslands, the park is a remarkable mix of natural gravity-defying rock formations, ancient cave art and a game park for a broad variety of African animals including the endangered white and black rhinoceros.

A local ranger guided three of us around this superb park for a single day some years ago. The boulder-strewn area is rich in small caves and hollows. The morning commenced exploring a couple of these caves where the San Bushman left impressive ochre cave drawings estimated to be around 1,600 years old. Giraffe, zebras and antelope are distinct in the delicate artwork. The floor of the areas around the caves supposedly contains ashes that have been dated to over 10,000 years old.

However, the most striking elements of the park are the eerie formations, with huge rocks balancing precariously upon each other. Though appearing to be stacked by giants, they are purely a result of erosion and time. Softer volcanic rock is eaten away leaving the harder granite, the normal weathering process separating the rocks from each other. Stunning formations result including the popular symbol of the park, the “Madonna and Child” and the fascinating “Rock Arch” with its centre rock looking like falling at any moment.


The View of the World marks a majestic view over a panoramic moonscape of rounded boulders and harsh rugged grasslands. The view so struck Cecil Rhodes, the founder of de Beers diamond company and whom Rhodesia is named after (Zimbabwe is south Rhodesia) that he asked to be buried there. Some large boulders and a generous plaque inlaid into the large granite platform mark his final wishes and memory. The setting over the dusty plains is strangely serene and harmonious.


Littered throughout the park, strange rainbow coloured lizards sun themselves in the cruel summer rays. With blue heads and green, yellow and red bodies, their rainbow bodies meld elegantly into the lichen stained rocks that form their home.

Full from lunch, the afternoon is reserved for a walking safari. Unarmed, the trusty ranger tracks us through thin grasslands with various antelope and a small herd of zebras nervously eating, their heads regularly bobbing for any signs of danger.

With a sense of nervous excitement, the small group slowly sneak towards a couple of white rhino until we are only ten metres away. They appeared undisturbed continuing to graze leisurely on the scant food supply before lying down for rest. The guide reassures us that rhinos have poor eyesight and hearing so if you approach downwind, the rhinos are likely to remain unaware of your presence. Fortunately, the wind stayed gently blowing in the one direction. Black rhino are less friendly and the only one we spy is kept at a respectable distance.

While Zimbabwe struggles through its modern political challenges, Matobo National Park offers a peaceful haven in the centre of the country. It is best described by Cecil Rhodes himself - “The peacefulness of it all: the chaotic grandeur of it: it creates a feeling of awe and brings home to one how very small we all are.”

Other African Posts
Gorillas in the Mist (Congo)
The Great Congo River Journey (Congo)
Lake of Stars (Malawi)
The Pink Pageant (Kenya)
Real Africa? (Central African Republic)
African Top Ten Travel Wonders

In the cold icy surrounds of Antartica, the Chinstrap penguin stands strikingly with its thin black neck stripe. Parenting is a truly shared occupation with one guarding the eggs or chicks while the other heads off to feed, returning with a full belly and regurgitated feeds for the chicks. They then exchange places and the cycle starts again. As the chicks grow, both parents head out to feed leaving the chicks in a creche with other chinstrap chicks, racing the short summer Antarctic months to have the chicks sufficiently matured to swim and fend for themselves.

Other Wildlife Photos of the Week
Leopard Seal
Mountain Gorilla
Brown Bear
Hoary Marmot
Cheetah
Top Ten Wildlife Wonders of the World

Even in the relative safety of a large vehicle, a polar bear is a chilling, awe-inspiring animal. When only a pane of reinforced glass separates you from the world’s largest land-based carnivore, a strange mix of fear and excitement sets in.

Every year around mid-October, migrating polar bears congregate in their hundreds for a handful of weeks in the northerly Canadian town of Churchill, awaiting Hudson Bay to freeze over. Purpose built tundra buggies, a kind of bus perched on a high-clearance, all-terrain truck chassis, ferry snap-happy tourists out onto the shores of the bay to witness these endangered arctic giants.

Some bears sniff around the buggy hoping for a tasty treat while others content themselves sleeping lazily on the crusty snow-laden ground. The occasional athletic bear leaps onto its hind legs, lifting itself to window level, the scratching on the metallic sides echoing uneasily through the buggy.


Mothers shepherd their cubs cautiously while younger adults stage mock fights, these solitary animals bought so close together waiting for the biting northerly cold to freeze the bay. The young cubs are a scream, their boundless energy and uncertain footing on the icy ground creating plenty of entertainment to those on the buggy. Once the bay is frozen, the polar bears can leave the shores and hunt for their favoured ring seals, the rich fresh meat rebuilding their fat reserves lost over the summer months.

Shallow lakes have already frozen, a mothers showing her cubs technique for walking on thin ice, cautiously spreading her weight over a wide area by widely stretching her legs in an exaggerated sliding walk like an oversized spider climbing a window. The bumbling cubs eagerly stroll behind like cotton balls blowing in the wind seemingly oblivious to the threats of the barely formed ice layer and paying scant attention to their mother’s lessons.

There are good chances that you’ll spot other creatures that inhabit this desolate, chilly environment. With all dressed in a standard uniform of white to camouflage into the surroundings, arctic foxes compete with arctic owls and flocks of ptarmigan exploring the desert-like tundra for food.

Read more about Churchill and the polar bears.

Photo Source: Tundra Buggy

Our group had been trekking for three and a half hours through thick forest, the thorns catching our clothing and our feet sloshing through the muddy grounds. Deep into the Congan rain forest, it was well over 30°C (86°F) and 100% humidity and getting hotter. The six of us were getting a little agitated, being drained of fluid and having started the early morning with such anticipation. The glint off the guard’s rifle caught my eye as he macheted away more branches. There is something unnerving about guns, especially when carried by two guys who didn't seem old enough to be out of school. They walked intently with a clear direction in mind, though there were no obvious paths to follow.

The rear guard pointed right to show piles of neatly matted leaves and branches in the trees. Though I couldn’t hear him, it had been the gorilla’s bedroom of last evening.

There was a disturbance to our left followed by a crack of timber. Our guards told us to crouch down as I spotted a ball of black fluff tumble clumsily down a branch. Suddenly as our eyes strained through the dim light of deep green-black of the forest, more balls of black fluff appeared and we had finally reached our goal – the elusive and endangered mountain gorillas.

We settled down onto the damp undergrowth to watch the gorilla group, about 15 in number. The mothers and older gorillas contentedly munched on bamboo and grass, the youngsters leaping around with boundless energy, staging mock fights and using the older gorillas as diving platforms. They seemed undisturbed by our group, though well aware that we were there with occasional glances towards us.

In the back, there was a pervading sense of piercing eyes surveying the area as the largest of the gorillas, a silver sheen on his deeply bent back from the dappled sunshine, kept a watchful patrol over his family group. The silverback, the largest adult male with his insatiable hunger broke trunks of bamboo from the surrounding trees as if snapping a toothpick.

Suddenly he stood and wacked his chest, producing a hollow thudding sound. Our group sat a little lower sinking into the surrounding foliage. There was no doubt who is boss. The silverback settled back down again as I feel a strange feeling on my right leg, always uneasy with the creepy-crawlies of the rain forest floor. I was about to swat it away when I saw it was one of the baby gorillas coming for a closer look. I glanced nervously towards the silverback but he seemed relaxed, carefully picking the greenest shoots from a moist grassy plant. Satisfied at what he’d found, the baby gorilla leapt away and back to the low branches to swing some more.

Today, there are estimated to be only around 700 of these magnificent primates left in the wild. They live in a small area of the Virunga mountains of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. Rwanda and Uganda run regular tours and have a number of habituated groups with reports of gorilla tours starting again in Congo.

A few minutes later (actually an hour) we were being hustled away by the guards. We pleaded for more time with these mesmerising primates but I think they’d heard it all before – “but we’ve travelled so far”, “we won’t ever get another chance like this”, “we’ll tip you more” – and soon we were back trekking out everyone chattering at once. The mountain gorillas could be left in peace for another day and a few hours later we were back at our camp.

Though expensive, it was reassuring to find that the money paid to trek helps fund the guards and the efforts to preserve both the gorillas and their habitat, making the gorillas more valuable alive than dead, reducing the value of bushmeat or the illegal animal trade.

Trekking to see the mountain gorillas is one of the greatest travel wonders available and is truly the greatest single wildlife experience of my life.

Notes

It was quite an effort to trek to the gorillas so a reasonable level of fitness was important. In some ways, it seemed a lot of work for one hour but everyone would have done it all again without question. Some days the gorillas are apparently easy to find and some days, people trek for hours unsuccessfully (though this is quite rare). Leave a spare day just in case if you possibly can.

The forest area was generally dark and flash photography is not permitted and may antagonise the gorillas. Use a higher ISO (400 or 800) on your camera to get clearer photos. Don’t forget to stop photographing for a decent period of time and just enjoy sharing time with the king of primates and the antics of the youngsters.

I have always had mixed feelings about zoos trying to balance the feelings of seeing magnificent animals in restricted sad cages against the beneficial scientific and conservation activities that many conduct. As an individual visitor it can be a chance to see, experience, watch, learn from and photograph in real life some of the planet’s most fascinating and awe-inspiring creatures – some of those almost impossible to see in their natural habitat. Equally it can be the chance to see disenchanted, constrained animals living in unnatural areas.

By far the best zoo I have visited is Singapore Zoo. With natural barriers such as moats, ditches and waterways replacing the usual bars and barriers for most displays (a few still have glass), the zoo has an open harmonious feel to it. Displays are thoughtfully landscaped and more generously sized and there is a general mood of satisfied, contented animals throughout the zoo.

Like all zoos, there are a number of highlight displays. Singapore Zoo boasts an impressive primate collection including a wide variety of monkeys, lemurs, chimpanzees, mandrills and the endangered golden lion tamarin (with its striking facial features) which are spread over a couple of island with a variety of forests, bamboos and grasses. A large group of endangered orang-utans have a large expanse of trees, ropes, vines and platforms to keep them entertained on a carefully designed island of their own.

Over fifty Hamadryas Baboons from Ethiopia live in one of the most impressive displays simulating the harsh deserts and the rocky escarpments of Ethiopia which they so nimbly access, climb and clamber for key strategic positions. The area is a riot of noisy screeches, clouds of dust, sharp dashing movements, revenge attacks, peaceful gazing and cautious grooming. As in the wild, caring mothers piggy-back their youngsters from the slightest hint of danger while young males stage mock fights in preparation for more senior roles.


The zoo also houses a rich collection of cats including lions, leopards, pumas and jaguars. Most notable are three white tigers (not albinos) which only occur in nature around 1 in 10,000 births. Similarly rare king cheetahs which have a different pattern to the normal spots (caused by a recessive gene and mainly bred in captivity) are included among the cheetahs. With bigger areas and more natural settings, some were tricky to spot highlighting the impressive camouflage techniques of these large felines. Nearby are a number of traditional African animals such as giraffes, zebras, white rhinos, hippos, warthog and antelope.

Though heavy on air-conditioning, iced water pools and large lumps of ice, the idea of a polar bear display in a tropical zoo is questionable. The display is cleverly designed so that you can watch these bears both above and below water, polar bears being impressive and powerful swimmers (a similar method is used with the hippos). Live fish and food frozen into ice is included in their diet to maintain some natural instincts. Being a hot, humid day when I was there, these majestic animals appeared completely sapped of energy.

Though I didn’t visit the area as I have seen them all back home, the zoo features an extensive and popular Australian zone including kangaroos, wallabies and emus (though no koalas), along with the usual collection of Australian lizards, snakes, spiders and other weird creepy-crawlies. The world’s most venomous snake – the taipan – is included though safely stored behind glass.

There are numerous other animals on display from butterflies and birds to reptiles and Asian elephants. It is easy to spend a rewarding full day wandering the paths and tracks (see map) either enjoying the posted feedings spread throughout the day or simply watching the wide variety of nature’s kingdom in what is surely one of the finest zoo settings of any. To escape the harsh Singapore humidity, there are plenty of places to sit and simply enjoy the animals at play. Attached to the zoo is a Night Safari but that is a story for another day.

Other SE Asia Posts
Breakfast at the Floating Markets (Thailand)
The Intrigue of Thai Massage(Thailand)
The Petronas Towers (Malaysia)

If looks could kill! Scratch, a solo black bear and long time visitor to Anan Creek Wildlife Reserve, and sporting a savage scar across his nose, stands in the cascading falls for over half an hour, plunging his head into the frigid water and coming up empty.

Elegant Mom, strolls down to the river for the second time, enthusiastic youngsters waddling behind and leans into the water from the bank, plucking a writhing salmon from the creek in seconds. A few drops of water drip from her neck, a spray of water from the struggling salmon. She strolls off to a quiet spot under the tree to continue the family picnic. The cubs follow in anticipation with even more spring in their step as they assuredly traverse the slippery rocks.

Nearby, four black bears, stand in a protective rock cave, out of the main current of the waterfall. This is the prime fishing spot and these giant bears have mortgaged these locations for years. Their swelling bellies almost rub they are so near each other, but apart from a bit of light-fingered thieving from each other, most get on with the job of gorging on the salmon.

Keen-eyes bald eagles and gulls await any leftover salmon. After all, bears are not the tidiest of eaters and the better fishermen among them satisfy themselves with just the eggs and part of the salmon head. The flesh is ignored, and makes for a welcome meal for the waiting birds. It is ironic, as the prime fillets of salmon is something we would gladly pay generously for in fish shops, yet at peak fishing time, the bears happily discard this in favour of the most protein-rich portions.

The action is manic. Over 25 black bears are stationed at their favourite locations near and in the cascades, fishing their primary summer meal. Some are extraordinarily efficient catching salmon at will – others take a fair bit more work. Young bear cubs watch intently, soaking in the lessons from their mother. After all, they will have to fend for themselves in a summer or two (and bears that can’t fish in this area won’t survive the winter).

Suddenly there is a disturbance. A single imposing brown bear strolls towards the main fishing grounds, the black bears clearing the path as if royalty is in attendance. These are traditional enemies and it is only at such prime feeding locations as Anan Creek that they will venture so close. Most black bears wander into the relative safety of the surrounding forest while one quickly shoots up a large tree. The ever-protective mothers ensure that their cubs are safe with the instinctive cubs treasuring protective cover from their parent.

But this brown isn’t chasing black bears. She is a champion fisher and in just a few minutes catches and gulps down the egg sac from three pink salmon. An eagle eagerly lines up for the remains from an overhanging branch but lacks the courage to interrupt this marauding diner. A brown bear family restfully watches on from a nearby log, unimpressed by all the activity.

Soon enough the big brown bear has had enough and wanders on. The black bears start sheepishly returning to their favorite spots and resume their feeding. And the normal mayhem of feeding returns to Anan Creek.

Wrangell Vacations

Alaska is rich in national parks and reserves including several where visitors can view one of the greatest wildlife wonders on Earth – the bears feeding on the salmon run.

Around 50 kilometres south-east of the uninspiring Alaskan town of Wrangell is the travel wonder of Anan Creek, accessible only by boat or float-plane. The pink salmon (or humpie) make their bold run upstream against the surging waters of Anan Creek and the eager attention of predators, ready to spawn through July and August. It attracts a glittering array of Alaskan wildlife including black and brown bears, bald eagles, gulls and harbour seals. The black bears outnumber the browns and both have a healthy dislike for each other. Black bears are nervous of the more powerful brown bears and often move away or climb a neighbouring tree.

About a kilometre along a wooden boardwalk from the mouth of Anan Creek is a US Forestry Service shelter that provides both great viewing above a small falls and an excellent three-sided hide at the river level providing fantastic close-up viewing of the feeding frenzy. Almost certain to be misty or wet, the walk in and out is slightly unnerving as it is in open country with bears contentedly strolling along and across this same path. Food and drinks (except water) is absolutely forbidden for good safety reasons.

It is an extraordinary experience to watch bears dining on their favourite food only a metre or two away with eager-eyes eagles and gulls ready to seize any leftovers.

It is truly a travel wonder – wildlife at its finest.

Note
More details on access and booking of Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory.

Wrangell Vacations

The flightless emu is native to Australia and is the second tallest bird in the world. Though not regularly seen in the wild, this one was sighted in Western Australia not far from the moonscape area of The Pinnacles. It seemed contented to stay near its waterhole. Despite their slightly bedraggled shaggy feathers, emus are powerful runners capable of deceptive speeds. Seeing a flock of emus running on the dusty outback ground is a spectacular sight.




The emu is one of two animals on the Australian coat of arms supporting the shield. Both animals are notable for the fact that they cannot walk backwards, symbolic for Australia's forward progress.

Other Wildlife Photos of the Week
Osprey
Toucan
Cheetah
Mountain Gorilla
Brown Bear

To me, cheetahs make the most elegant and regal of all the African cats. They are superbly designed for speed with their long sleek body and lengthy tail used like a rudder. Paired with his brother and ever alert, this young male cheetah surveys the Masai Mara bushland.

Other Wildlife Photos of the Week
Mountain Gorilla
Brown Bear
Osprey
Toucan
Hoary Marmot

With its huge head and mouth, the Leopard Seal has the ferocious look of a fearsome predator. Though more innocent looking in its relaxed pose in the photo, they are demonised as evil by movies such as Happy Feet. These solitary seals efficiently hunt penguins near the Antarctic shores as they depart and arrive at the rookeries over the summer months.

Other Wildlife Photos of the Week
Brown Bear
Mountain Gorilla
Osprey
Toucan
Hoary Marmot
Condor

The tawny frogmouth is a uniquely Australian bird, found superbly camouflaged in trees. They are often described as an owl though this is not technically true. Typically, someone needs to point them out for you to be aware they are there but once discovered they rarely move far from their favourite branch or tree. The bird in the photos lives not far from my home in Sydney. Their ability to stay still for hours and appear like a branch allows them to hunt by simply waiting for rats, mice, frogs and insects to wander past and seize them in their beak. Impressively, they mate for life and truly share the rearing of chicks both sharing sitting on the eggs and the feeding duties.

Two favourite photos taken outside my hotel late at night-time with a family of elephants digging at the salt-pan with their tusks and eating the mud. The photo was on a very slow exposure, hence the somewhat ghost-like qualities of some of the elephants because they just simply wouldn't keep still for me.