Tag Archives: environment
Pacific Shore Birds on Rose Atoll
I find that shore birds on distant Pacific islands can be hard to approach. They are often far out on sand spits or rocky outcrops, and fly off as soon as one approaches. On Rose Atoll, the southern-most US national monument … Continue reading
Anna’s Hummingbirds in La Jolla
During the winter in Southern California the hummingbirds are as busy as ever defending their territory and this male Anna’s Hummingbird was no exception. He was so focused on defending his patch that he let me get very close. … Continue reading
Masked Boobies: Rose Atoll Part Two
The Masked Booby is such an elegant bird however the young are endearing and almost comical – as the first two photographs show. There were a few chicks and juveniles on Rose Island and I saw several adults flying. The young were … Continue reading
Rose Atoll, Remote US National Monument. Part One Brown Boobies
Rose Atoll is a tiny speck on the map in the Southern pacific and is part of American Samoa. This remote place has one small island that you can walk around in twenty minutes but is home for over 300,000 seabirds. … Continue reading
Ofu Beach American Samoa National Park
The second island in American Samoa I visited was Ofu. It is joined by a slim suspension bridge to Olisega and together they are six kilometers long. This isolated speck of paradise has steep verdant slopes of thick forest and … Continue reading
Beautiful National Park of American Samoa
I have just come back from a remarkable visit to one of our least known treasures and one of the most beautiful places I have seen – A National Park far deep in the Southern Hemisphere spanning several of the … Continue reading
Orange Sulphur Butterfly
I love the delicate colors of the underwings of the Orange Sulphur. The pink wash on the edges of the wings complements the yellow, blues and greens – and in this case the flower as well. … Continue reading
Fritillaries in a Butterfly Garden in Maine
South of Bar Harbor, Maine, tucked away in the woods and close to the water, is a house with a wonderful butterfly garden. It is close to the end of the season and the most common butterflies around now are fritillaries. … Continue reading
August insects in Provence
I went for an early morning walk along the edge of the vineyards in a small valley near Bandol in Provence. The grapes were ripening and the wildflowers dying, but the insects, especially the dragonflies, were out in force. The sun … Continue reading
Whales and Seabirds at Stillwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Last Week I went whale watching on a New England Aquarium whale watching trip run by Boston Harbor Cruises. I was with NOAA Stillwagen Bank NMS and Mass Audubon staff. We had a wonderful trip counting seabirds and saw several … Continue reading
NaturalistNotebook 