Yellow-crowned Night Heron Deep In The San Blas Swamp

Yellow-crowned Night Heron, mangrove swamp, san blas, nayarit, mexico, pic 19

When Bob and I visited San Blas on the Pacific coast of Mexico, our objective was to see some of the endemic bird species as well as others that winter in that southern locale.  We had seen a juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron in our hometown of Toronto a couple of years earlier.  As we cruised through the mangrove jungle on our guided tour, closeup views of these rather elegant birds were fairly frequent. Read more

Australasian Gannets at the Muriwai Gannet Colony

australasian-gannet-at-the-muriwai-gannet-colony-waitakere-new-zealand-2

Bob and I had a long list of sights to see in New Zealand and first up was the gannet colony at Muriwai Regional Park just outside of Auckland.  About an hour’s drive north of Lone Kauri Lodge where we were staying on the North Island, it made for the perfect day trip.  Over 2,000 Australasian Gannets make up the colony at Muriwai, which is one of only three mainland gannet colonies in New Zealand. Read more

Helping With The Grape Harvest In Tuscany

jean holds grapes at il colombaio di cencio vineyard, gaiole in chianti, itay

During our several night stay at Il Colombaio di Cencio Vineyard near Gaiole in Chianti, Italy, Bob and I enjoyed a leisurely pace where we set our own schedule.  The morning after a day trip to the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Cinque Terre, we awoke to a subtle clangor emanating from the sleepy, sun-drenched vineyard.  Soon after, we found ourselves helping with the grape harvest in Tuscany. Read more