Mexican Chickadee at nest (Digiscoped photo by Narca) Although the glamorous trogons draw most birders to southeastern Arizona and the Chiricahua Mountains, the Mexican Chickadee is actually the Chiricahua’s major avian claim to fame––the only bird which does not reside elsewhere in Arizona. In … Continue readingMexican Chickadee
It’s hard to find more stunning, graceful birds than herons and egrets in their breeding plumage––their fancy-dress wear. Here are a couple of recent watercolors of two! Windblown: Great Blue Heron (Watercolor by Narca) Sunstruck: Reddish Egret (Watercolor by Narca) The last few months … Continue readingHerons in Fancy Dress
Alan and I are just back from Midway Atoll, an idyllic coral-fringed trio of islands, where significant history and wildlife converge. I was scouting a tour which WINGS will offer in coming years. Color-drenched Sand Island at Midway Atoll (Photos by Narca) When we step … Continue readingMidway Atoll!
Our next stop is Okoki, famed for its White-winged Ducks––yet another endangered species that finds refuge in Cambodia. We arrive mid-afternoon at this remote site, only about 10 miles from the Laos border. As soon as we pull into the campsite, local guides meet us. … Continue readingOkoki’s White-winged Ducks, and More!
When we were setting up this Cambodia trip through the Sam Veasna Center for Wildlife Conservation, and saw the price breakdown for different items, Jim emailed us something to the effect of “and we get a cow, too! What’s that about?” A critically-endangered Red-headed Vulture … Continue readingThe Vulture Restaurant
Anyone considering a trip to Cambodia may be interested in seeing what accommodations at Tmatboey are like. The villagers involved in the ecotourism program were unfailingly helpful and friendly. The cabins are duplexes. Like elsewhere in Cambodia, people are asked to remove their shoes before … Continue readingHome Base at Tmatboey
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