#birds

Fire & Rain: Exploring Costa Rica's Mountain Rainforests

John J King II

Jan 27, 2018
2 min

Fire & Rain: Exploring Costa Rica's Mountain Rainforests

Frozen inlets and sub freezing temperatures have been the order of day this winter on Cape Cod. After spending wonderful time with family in the Pacific Northwest over the holidays, we were keen to get back on the road. We joined friends and returned to Costa Rica to explore the mountainous rainforests around the countries largest active volcano, Arenal in search of birds and other wildlife. Once again good fortune was with us as we had phenomenal sightings of 160 species of

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Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Summer Bird Migrations

John J King II

Aug 27, 2017
1 min

Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Summer Bird Migrations

We took a break from our field work tracking and photographing white sharks here on Cape Cod to head to a favorite birding spot on Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge and take a look at birds that are passing through the refuge on their southerly migration. We also include some images of shorebirds that were still in breeding plumage heading north that were taken in May. #capecod #birds #monomoynationalwildliferefuge #migration #shorebirds #conservation

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Report from East Africa: Lake Tanganyika

John J King II

Feb 12, 2015
4 min

Report from East Africa: Lake Tanganyika

Our African Odyssey continued in Tanzania as we ventured by small plane south and west to the shores of Lake Tanganyika and the Mahale National Park. Our friends at Africa Easy had suggested we make this visit off the usual safari path to Greystoke Mahale Camp on the shores of this crystal clear African Great Lake. Lake Tanganyika is the second largest fresh water lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, in both cases, after only Lake Baikal in Siberia and it is a

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John J King II

Oct 2, 2014
2 min

Down East at the Autumnal Equinox

We took a few days off from our work with the Massachusetts White Shark Research team to travel to Down East Maine and embrace the onset of Autumn in the New England north country. We were eager to explore a new destination in the mid coast region well known to birders especially in the fall migration. Our target was Monhegan Island, a tiny wooded rock pile about ten miles off the Maine coast. The island is well visited in the fall as it is a famous stop-over for southbound m

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Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Of Warblers and Whales in the Provincelands

John J King II

May 25, 2014
2 min

Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Of Warblers and Whales in the Provincelands

Among the birding community there is great pleasure in tracking, spotting and identifying migrating warblers and other song birds each spring and fall as they pass through on their yearly migrations to and from the Canadian arboreal forests. Cape Cod is a target refueling stop as it is one of the very easterly most pieces of land drawing birds in when the southerly winds shift to the west thus pushing flocks of high flying birds to the east and out over the ocean. One favorit

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John J King II

Jan 28, 2014
1 min

Forest Observations: Costa Rica

We managed to take time out of enjoying the Cape Cod winter to perform a surgical strike into two distinct wild areas of Costa Rica over a short ten day window. Long a preferred destination by Eco-adventure travelers all over the world we had never taken the time to visit and were keen to get in on the experience. Our primary goal in this exploratory trip was to explore two significantÂ and different areas in the country - the magical lowland rainforest on the Osa Peninsula i

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John J King II

Jan 25, 2014
1 min

Travel Advisory: Apex Expeditions

Apex Expeditions specializes in one-of-a-kind adventures to explore the world's most fascinating places. Many of you might recognize Jonathan Rossouw here, a close friend, supreme wildlife guide and extraordinary tour leader specializing in remote destinations all around the world. We have traveled with Jonathan on many adventures including the now well known Ugandan Mountain Gorilla encounter which changed us both forever. We are wonderfully pleased to learn that a new ventu

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John J King II

Nov 14, 2013
1 min

Transitions of the Season

It is that time of year when the NE Gales start to become more frequent and the temperatures drop toward the freezing mark. Our boat Aleutian Dream has been in the water here on Cape Cod for over 6 months and the time has come to haul it for the winter season. It is always hard to give up the chance to be on the water in a moments notice. Here are some additional unforgettable images from our last adventure a week ago out with the humpbacks off Chatham Inlet. But even as the

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John J King II

Oct 30, 2013
1 min

Flight & Pursuit: Autumn Migrations

Beautiful fall weather continues here on the outer edge of Cape Cod and a continuing flow of returning raptors are visible in our open spaces and barrier beaches....but you have to look for them. Had a brilliant encounter with a pair of red tailed hawks in Chatham today. See below. Also as previously reported - sightings of Marbled Godwits are rare - anywhere. This fall we were blessed with sightings and images in three different areas. Mount Desert Island, ME, Tern Island, C

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Wild Cape Cod Notebook: More Signs of Spring

John J King II

Apr 15, 2013
1 min

Wild Cape Cod Notebook: More Signs of Spring

Virtually every day we see more and more new arrivals from their wintering grounds in the south. #birds #capecod

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John J King II

Apr 11, 2013
1 min

Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Signs of Spring

Some recent images from excursions into the wild here on the Cape, Definitely signs that Spring is in process. But it is still cold here. #CapeCod #birds #conservation

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John J King II

Jan 13, 2013
3 min

Hawaii Journal: Rare and in Danger

Of Hawaii's birds, the honeycreepers (Drepanidinae) are most famous, having put on what is arguably the world's most dazzling display of adaptive radiation--an explosion of species from a single unspecialized ancestor to at least 54 species that filled available niches in the islands' habitats. In fact, speciation in the Hawaiian honeycreepers dwarfs the famed radiation of Darwin's 14 Galapagos finches. Robert Fleischer, Cheryl Tarr, and Carl McIntosh at the National Zoo's Mo

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Chatham Fall Journal: Pictures in Nature

John J King II

Oct 7, 2012
4 min

Chatham Fall Journal: Pictures in Nature

On a recent visit from my friend Wayne, I made a conscious decision to embark on an early morning birding excursion without bringing my camera. Wayne is an avid birder who doesn't get to wander on the outer beaches of Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge very often so I was keen on making sure he had a good experience. Common practice for birders here is to have good binoculars but especially for small shorebirds to pack a spotting scope on a tripod. We each decided to bring a sc

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John J King II

Sep 23, 2012
1 min

Chatham Fall Journal

The fall shorebird southerly migration is winding down but there is still much to see if you look carefully on the barrier beaches off Chatham. We have had family & friends visiting for the past week and have had a chance to explore some of our favorite places. #birds #chatham #blackbelliedplover #redknot #monomoynationalwildliferefuge #conservation #humpbackwhales

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South Africa Spring Journal – The Lowveld

John J King II

Sep 14, 2012
1 min

South Africa Spring Journal – The Lowveld

The end of winter in the Lowveld region of South Africa means the end of the long dry season. Temperatures are warming , small green buds can be seen trying to germinate in local shrubs and trees. The rains are right around the corner. Many animals have recently borne young and are nurturing youngsters in the bush. The very first European bird migrants are starting to return to their summer home in the South. We had some fantastic views of the regions most beautiful residents

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John J King II

Aug 15, 2012
1 min

Summer on Cape Cod

These are from the backyard birding efforts of the last few days. We have a young family of Ruby Throated Hummingbirds including a tender young bird. They are seen routinely bombing around our garden and this time of year they are frequenting the blooms of Rose of Sharon. Very hard to get to stay in one place for a photograph but managed a couple of decent images on a stormy day this week. #birds #capecod #chatham

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John J King II

Aug 4, 2012
1 min

Offshore with the Humpbacks

We are finally managing to secure some quality time offshore. Our friends the Gulf of Maine humpback whales are feeding voraciously in the waters off Chatham. It is also now wonderful to see mother and calf combinations with young whales that were likely born this year or last on the Silver Bank off the Dominican Republic. #birds #capecod #stormpetrel #greatershearwater #humpbackwhales

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John J King II

Jul 7, 2012
1 min

Signs of Summer on Cape Cod

Spring gives way to summer on the outer beaches of Cape Cod quite abruptly. The water warms the air warms and the strong sea breezes pipe up in the last few days of June. Summer is on. Among other adventures the white shark returns to waters off of Chatham. Our first clues come from observing the seal carcasses that appear on our beaches. #chatham #capecod #birds #dolohuns #whitesharks #greyseals #minke

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John J King II

Jun 6, 2012
1 min

Haida Gwaii – Land of Eagle and Raven

We were very fortunate to get the call from our friends Scott Jensen and Courtney Lipson to travel with them on the 68 foot ketch Island Odyssey to explore the wild southern islands of Haida Gwaii off of the British Columbia coast and near the Alaska border. The attraction is a remote set of unspoiled wilderness made up of the finest temperate rainforest anywhere on planet earth. In addition this is the ancestral homeland to the Haida Nation who have lived there for more than

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John J King II

May 8, 2012
1 min

Signs of Spring on Cape Cod #4

Just had to share a few more recent images. Really wonderful to see this windswept landscape come back to life now that May is here. #birds #spring #migration #capecod

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