Tmatboey is a small village set in deciduous dipterocarp forest in the center of Cambodia’s Northern Plains. It has the distinction of being home to two highly endangered ibis, the Giant and the White-shouldered. Both birds have suffered precipitous population declines in the past half-century, … Continue readingTmatboey’s Treasured Ibis
Let’s return to the field with our trusty guide, Nara, and a local guide from the village. Mardy, who guided us at the temples of Angkor Wat, has also come at our invitation. He is eager to see Prey Veng for the first time, and … Continue readingPrey Veng’s Birds and Leps
Aww, man!… and five coatis scamper across the road just ahead. White-nosed Coati (Photo by Narca; not to be confused with the photo I might have gotten!)
What fine examples we found of ecotourism bringing needed revenues to small, impoverished villages! The organizer and catalyst for ecotourism in Cambodia is the Sam Veasna Center for Wildlife Conservation, working in conjunction with its international partner, Wildlife Conservation Society. WCS founded SVC in 2006 … Continue readingConservation in Cambodia
Let’s move back in time to January in Cambodia. The hour is pre-dawn. I’m writing by lantern light outside my tent, which has been provided by the local community of Prey Veng. Here at our campsite, sounds are in transition from the unearthly, resonant songs … Continue readingThe Road to Prey Veng
Angkor Wat in the early morning (Photos by Narca) Angkor Wat is, to my mind, one of the true wonders of the ancient world, on a par with Egypt’s and Greece’s antiquities and Peru’s Machu Picchu. For our first three days in Cambodia, Alan, Jim, … Continue readingTemple-trekking at Angkor Wat
Our birding trip in Cambodia was organized by the Sam Veasna Center for Wildlife Conservation, based in Siem Reap (the city close to the famed temples of Angkor Wat). The center’s work in meshing ecotourism with village economies is the most impressive example I’ve ever … Continue readingCambodia: First, the Khmer Rouge’s Legacy
When there’s a long break in my blog posts, you can bet I’m on the road. We have just returned from nearly a month and a half in Southeast Asia––Cambodia, Thailand, and Singapore––and is there ever a lot to report! Here is a quick preview … Continue readingStay Tuned: Cambodia!
This year, again, Alan and I joined the national ritual of Christmas Bird Counts, once more participating in the back-to-back counts for Portal, Arizona, and the Peloncillo Mountains, New Mexico. The weather couldn’t have been finer, with temperatures rising into the high 60s and low … Continue readingCelebrating Our Local CBCs
Snowy Owl at Boundary Bay, Canada (Photos by Narca) Boundary Bay near Delta, Canada, is hosting a Snowy Owl fiesta this winter. Twenty-four of the superlative creatures were visible from one spot on the day that our friend Jim Shiflett asked me to grab my … Continue readingTwenty-four! Snowy Owls!