WHERE HAVE WE HAVE BEEN TRAVELIN

WHERE HAVE WE BEEN TRAVELING?

Walter and Heather spent several months in Florida this winter, and he has sent us these photos.

He tells us that these photos were taken near Lake Kissimmee at a fishing camp in Florida. There were bald eagles galore, and we were treated to sightings of crested caracaras. The meadowlark was singing its heart out, and posed for a moment. Whooping cranes seem to hangout where cattle are being fed, so they move around a bit. There are breeding pairs in Florida now. They are the biggest birds I have seen in Florida.

Ray and Janet Kiff sent us these photos from Florida, and reported
"We visited the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge today. It is about two miles south of the Kennedy Space Centre. Finally, we had some good sunlight and warmth. The Skimmers were on the beach near us; The Gnatcatcher was seen at the Eldora Hammock about 10 miles north within the Canaveral National Seashore property. "

White Ibis	Eastern Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	American White Pelicans in V flyover formation

Roseate Spoonbills	Snowy Egret	Northern Shoveller -breeding male and female

Black Skimmers - on strike?

Leonore Wianko spent a week in Providentiales ( Turks and Caicos) and found 36 life birds

Wasp mimicking Day flying moth-Ctenuchid (Empyreuma hero)	Rock iguana	Reddish egret

Flamingo and Black-necked Stilts	Mangroves	Flamingo

Ron Reid and Janet Grand spent July travelling around Newfoundland.

Janet shows off her hair in a breezy seaside meadow near St. Andrew on the west coast.	Just some of the steps leading to a spectacular view from one of the four corners of the Earth, according to the Flat Earth Society, on Fogo Island	A roadside nesting colony of Arctic terns at the mouth of the Codroy valley.

Twillingate harbour had the largest icebergs seen in many years.	Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve near L'Anse Aux Meadows. Another limestone barrens specialist, known as River Beautyeven though there are no rivers for miles on this dry landscape.	A yellow-bellied flycatcher that has just been banded - the most common flycatcher in Newfoundland.

Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve near L'Anse Aux Meadows. A Black Swallowtail feeding on one of the showiest of the limestone barrens plants - Elegant Milkvetch.	Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve near L'Anse Aux Meadows. This tiny willow uses masses of fluffy seed heads to disperse by the wind.	Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve near L'Anse Aux Meadows is a great example of limestone barrens, with Shrubby Cinquefoil and many other specialized flowers.

Gord Michener and Jim Watt, were among a group of 4, who travelled to Iceland in June.

There were many spectacular falls, home to salmon runs. The rivers of Iceland are the last good refuge of Atlantic Salmon	This geyser, among many, is more regular than " Old Faithful ( in Yellowstone).	Generating electricity from the ground. All the hills are still hot, so there is no vegetation on the hills

A fern at a falls - probably a type of Woodsia.	White Mountain Avens	Moss Campion with heather and crowberry
The plants are often similiar to ours in the north, although there are also European plants.

Heather and Walter Ewing were in Easter Island (Rapa Nui) in June 2009. Walt ran in the half marathon there, as a member of Team Diabetes Canada. Easter Island is a lesson for all people, as to what happens to land when there is overpopulation and abuse of the resources. What was formerly an island covered by trees is now pasture to horses and cattle. The flora and fauna that were unique have disappeared since Polynesians settled the island around 300 CE. The people of Rapa Nui (about 4,000 live there) depend a great deal on imports for almost all of their needs. Tourism to Rapa Nui is expanding, as people go to see the monumental sculptures and stone altars found around the island. Rapa Nui is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre. The enormous stone figures, known as Moai continure to fascinate people throughout the world. Rapa Nui is the most remote inhabited island in the world. Pitcairn Island is the nearest landfall. Heather and Walt Ewing are former members of our club, and have moved back to Orillia. They will participate in the shoulder seasons, since they, like so many of our members, winter in the south.


Heather in front of an Ahu with several Moai.	Common Diuca Finch in Rapa Nui

Moai on an Ahu (altar) by the Ocean	Rapa Nui was formed by volcanoes. The two larger craters have small lakes with reeds similar to those in Lake Titicaca.	Walt by two Moai. The red hat shows that the funerary person represented was particularly well-to-do.

Gord and Sandy Michener visited Brazil, near Rio, in March, for a family wedding. They also took time to hike a difficult forest trail, which ended at a waterfall. More of their photos of Brazil will be shown at members' night , May 6th.


	Dorothy and Donald Macdonald spent 10 days in Florida, and sent us this photo of Sanderlings on Bonita Beach. Donald M called them Sandpipers. They are not really Sanderlings Final decision: WILLETS : note the heavy beak, and the fact that they are wading up to their knees.

Ray and Janet Kiff are spending the winter in Victoria. They sent us this report and these photos.
"We watched the mist netting and banding of 2 migrating Rufous Hummingbirds under the supervision of Master Bird Bander J Cam Finlay with the work being done by sub-permitee Dave Lynn under the auspices of the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS). Cam has banded almost 20,000 humming birds here in Victoria and at 7 spots in B.C."

Securing the flannel collar.	Caliper measurement.	Pinning collar	Weighing on scale


Antarctic shag	Kelp Gull with chick	Cape Petrels	Black-browed Albatross with chick
		Margo Holt and Leonore Wianko spent most of January in Antarctica, visiting Argentina , Falkland Islands, South Georgia, among others, and the continent of Antarctica. They saw 8 Species of penguins, Leonore found 130 lifers on the trip.
Adelie Penguin with 2 chicks	Gentoo Penguin standing on Margo's boots		King Penguins

Pat and Jim Woodford visited Africa in November,
but all they sent me was a picture of elephant dung,
being biodegraded by fungi ( ? Stropharia sp.)

Bill and Helen Marie Darker went to the Galapagos and Machu Picchu ( lower photos) in October /08

Land iguana	Swallow- tailed Gull	Magnificent Frigate Bird - mating plumage

Dorothy Macdonald travelled to South Africa, Zambia, Swaziland and Botswana for 3 weeks, mid September to mid October. They were within 10 feet of a 1 month old baby rhino suckling from its mother, also close to herds of elephants, zebras and impalas. She took a helicopter over Victoria Falls. This is a sampling of her photos, and more will be shown at the members’ night in April.

Protea, the national flower of South Africa	Maribu Storks	Male Nyala

Giraffe	Fur seals	Lilac breasted Roller
		Raft of hippos on left Photos by Nancy Barber of Port Carling.

This page was updated 30/04/2010