Longwood Gardens

Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square Pennylsvania is having it's Fall Color Display from now until late November and my sister and I headed up there to check it out. I usually visit the gardens in the summer to see the perennials and again at Christmas to see the lights and holiday decorations. I wasn't sure what to expect in the fall. I found that there is still lots to see in the gardens, everything from late summer annuals to chrysanthemums. The displays of pumpkins and squash were impressive. The topiary bees in the conservatory were especially interesting. It was my first visit since the completion of the Children's Garden and that was stunning. Another new addition are the four treehouses built throughout the gardens. I highly recommend a fall visit to the gardens.

A Sharpbill on the nest, incubating | the Internet Bird Collection

I just added this video to The Internet Bird Collection. While taken over a year ago, I think it is important enough to document. The discovery of the nest was an important ornithological find and the pictures and videos that we took were the first ever taken anywhere in the world.

A Sharpbill on the nest, incubating | the Internet Bird Collection

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Monument to William Wallace, Stirling, Scotland

Scottish Fields

Glencoe

I just returned from a trip to Scotland. I recently discovered that I had family there and the main purpose of my trip was to meet all my long lost relatives. I expected that the experience of meeting family would be rewarding. I had never really had Scotland on my list of must see countries, so I didn't know a lot about it as a destination and didn't know what to expect. I was in for a real treat.
The Scottish landscape is breathtaking: lovely rolling hills, lochs and quaint towns. It is a small country so in a week I was able to visit Glasgow, Edinburgh, the Highlands, the Borders and Loch Ness and Loch Lomond and the Cairngorns. I was impressed by the cleanliness of the towns and cities. Every little stone house had a neatly cared for garden in the front. Stone walls lined the highways. Fields everywhere had sheep and there was one lovely old castle after another along the roads. If asked what the high point of my trip was, I would have to say it was the visit to Glencoe. It is a place shrouded in mystery, sorrow and history. Standing and looking at the beautiful green valley, surrounded by grand hills, I felt I was transported to another time. At this altitude in the states the mountains would be covered with trees, hiding the beauty of the hills themselves. Here the mountains are adorned by exposed rock, low bushes and heather. On the day I visited the sky was blue with great white clouds. I was told I was lucky to visit here on a day of some of Scotland's best weather. I will never forget Glencoe.

Blue and Yellow Macaw

While visiting my sister in Jacksonville, Florida we drove to St. Augustine and went to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. These beautiful Macaws are residents there.

Scarlet Macaw

Tricolored Heron Chicks

At the St.Augustine Alligator Farm there is a wild bird rookery. The birds chose to nest here over the lagoon because the alligators keep away predators like racoons and oppossums. Today we saw Snowy Egret chicks, Great Egret chicks and Tricolored Heron chicks.

Playa Jaco

Playa Jaco is a popular destination for surfers. You can take a class at Surfer School or just watch the experts and enjoy a sunset. On this evening this dog kept me company while I watched and he waited for his surfer daddy.

Sharpbill Nest

Last year in Costa Rica at Tapanti National Park, with our guide Randall Ortega Chavez, we saw the Sharpbill, a difficult bird to see. Randall followed the bird to find it go to its nest. This was the first sighting of the Sharpbill nest since a sighting in Brazil many years ago and the first sighting of a nest in Costa Rica. It was reported to the Museum of Natural History and many local birders went to the sight to record the event and take pictures of the nest and the nestlings. It was very exciting to be a part of this important ornithological discovery.

Spider Monkey

He's letting me know what he thinks of me being in his rainforest.

Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher

Photo by Randall Ortega Chavez
This lovely Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher was the first bird we saw at Savegre.

White-throated Mountain Gem

Resplendent Quetzal

We are back from Costa Rica. We had a wonderful trip.Our first stop was Savegre Mountain Lodge were we finally saw the Resplendent Quetzal. Here he is in all his beauty.

Toco Toucan

This is the Toco Toucan we saw while at Parque Nacional das Emas in Brazil in October of 2008 while on an Earthwatch Expedition.
We saw her everyday while on our wildlife survey drives and we even got a look in the nest and saw the chicks. What a beautiful bird this is.

I am about to go on another excursion to my favorite country...Costa Rica.
Check back soon to find out what I saw and did.