Discovering The World Through Our Lens
Ready to explore the Po River Delta, the biggest wetlands in Europe, Bob and I were off the sheets early on our first full day in the region. The enchanted landscape covers an area of 140,000 hectares, so under a crystal clear sky, we set off in the direction of Parco Regionale Veneto del Delta del Po. Read more
Bob and I had never explored the Canadian Prairies before we planned our summer vacation to the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Committed to discovering more of our own country’s unique landscape and culture, we booked a car in Regina, Saskatchewan, for use after flying west from Toronto. Grasslands National Park East Block was our first destination. Read more
Fiordland National Park on the South Island of New Zealand abounds with picturesque landscapes. While there, several stops to appreciate the scenery also rewarded us with a couple of special bird sightings. One pullover afforded us the encounter we had hoped for. Several Kea, also known as New Zealand Mountain Parrots, flew in to greet us. Read more
The first trip that Bob and I booked for the sole purpose of birding was to the Birder’s Paradise at Long Point on Lake Erie in Ontario. Through different facebook groups, we had seen ample evidence of bird sightings at Long Point, and we were eager to check out the area for ourselves. Read more
Our plan, when staying in La Fortuna, was to make a couple of road trips to further our exploration of the area. On our third day in Costa Rica, we were up at 5 a.m., wakened by bird song, but pouring rain had us holding off until 9 o’clock before setting off for Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge. It is considered by many to be the third most important wetland in the world. Read more
Bob and I could hardly wait to land at Isla Isabel. We were promised Blue-footed Boobies and Magnificent Frigatebirds with no fear of humans. Referred to as “North America’s Galapagos”, Isla Isabel lies about 43 miles northwest of San Blas on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Read more
Bob and I wasted no time when in Costa Rica. For the morning of our second day, we had booked a guided bird tour at Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park. At 5:30 a.m., a bus picked us up at Hotel Kokoro, and as it navigated the steep, sinuous road to the pavilion, the sun was just beginning to wedge its way between the deep shadows of the mountains and the dark night sky. Read more
Costa Rica was a destination on our bucket list for a good many years. We were there to see birds! Our flight landed in San Jose after sunset, so when we departed for Hotel Kokoro in La Fortuna the following morning, Bob and I were eager to see what species would constitute our first sighting of the trip.
When Bob and I visited Monteverde, we hiked in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve multiple times. One day, we found ourselves alone on a trail in the jungle. I was ahead of Bob when I heard him exclaim in a loud whisper “there they are!” I stopped in my tracks for Bob could only mean the Resplendent Quetzals. The pair was perched less than 20 feet to the side of the trail. Read more