Los Haitises National Park

Los Haitises National Park is located in the Dominican Republic near the town of Samana. It is made up of a large group of small limestone islands or keys. Since limestone is a porous rock, trees and other vegetation grows on top the islands. Being surrounded by water they provide the perfect habitat for many seabirds to nest. We were able to see hundreds of Magnificent Frigatebirds, Brown Boobies and Brown Pelicans. (click on the pictures for a larger view)

Bird Island

Magnificent Frigatebirds


One of the many islands of Los Haitises







This island is called Jaws Island by the locals.

Small fish and shrimp are plentiful in these waters, so the parent birds are constantly flying out to gather food for the young birds and returning to feed them. The sky is full of birds.

The pelicans chose this particular island as a training ground for the juvenile pelicans to learn to fish.

Several of the islands have caves that were used by the Taino indians in the early 1200-1400's for shelter and for ceremonial grounds. They painted pictographs on the walls that depicted the common birds and animals of the area.

Pictographs were painted using the local mangrove roots for color.

Happy Halloween

I don't know if I have been watching too much Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel or not, but this entrance to an old mine at Soldier's Delight looks pretty scary to me. I wouldn't have wanted to go underground in this old shaft. The park itself was beautiful and I plan on going back in the spring to do a wildflower walk.

Ringing Rocks Park, Bucks County PA

I learned about this place on a show on the Travel Channel called Weird Travels and decided I had to go there. We drove two and a half hours to the Doylestown/ Bethlehem area of Pennsylvania above Philadelphia. The park is located in a beautiful wooded area. As you walk from the parking lot into the woods you notice that the ground is strewn with more and more rocks. The forest trail abruptly ends to reveal a large open field of boulders. The field is 5 acres big and 10 feet deep. It is a mystery how all these rocks ended up here. Furthermore, the rocks have unusual qualities. They ring, make music. Some have high pitch and others lower and then some just go "thunk". It is easy to determine which stones have a good pitch by their worn white marks from years and years of being hit with hammers by visitors. There is an eerie atmosphere as you clamber out over the rocks early in the morning, but as the park fills with visitors armed with hammers, all pounding on the rocks, the place becomes quite musical and entertaining.
(click on pictures for a larger view)

You can see that many of these boulders are very large.

A view of the field of rocks

This rock has a very good tone, visitors have worn a hole in the rock.

Another view of the rock field. It is said that a bird has never been seen flying over this area.

Interesting erosion patterns on the rocks

George "ringing" the stones.

A short walk past the rock field takes you through the forest to another interesting geological formation. There is a wide rock stepped platform that drops off to create a waterfall three stories high.

If this picture seems tilted it is because the rock floor does actually pitch to the right.

The rock floor is stepped down gradually toward the waterfall

View from the top of the waterfall.

Cascade Falls Trail at Patapsco State Park

The Cascade Falls Trail in the Orange Grove area of the Patapsco State Park is a 2.2 mile loop that treats the walker to beautiful cascades and rapids. (Click on the pictures for a larger view)

The combination of rock and water... lovely.

Me crossing the stream

A small waterfall on the trail

George

Patapsco State Park

A beautiful fall morning after a big storm seemed to be the perfect time for a walk. Today we went to Patapsco State Park. I was curious to see if the Swinging Bridge that I remembered from many years ago was still there. It is still there and still a wonderful place to walk and birdwatch.

The Swinging Bridge

Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) - Chick on the nest | the Internet Bird Collection

Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) - Chick on the nest the Internet Bird Collection
From our trip in July, this video was taken by our guide in Tambopata, Peru with a small camera held up to a spotting scope.

An Udderly Wonderful Breakfast

On the way from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to Lititz, we stopped for breakfast at this restaurant. Not only was the breakfast wonderful, but they had probably the largest collection of ice-cream scoops anywhere.

Door handles...I like these cows.

Ice cream scoops. This is only maybe a third of the collection. Anytime anyone collects this much of anything, I find it interesting.

Lititz

Just north of Lancaster is a sweet little town. Founded in the mid 1700's by the Moravians, it is now a nice little day trip. The town is packed with lovely old historic buildings and quaint little shops.

The Sutter Inn, named after General Sutter, of Sutter's Gold fame, the founder of Sacremento, California spent the last 9 years of his life in Lititz.

They really don't want you to be hit by a car in this town.

The Wilbur Chocolate Factory, still in operation, now houses a small museum of chocoloate paraphenalia.

Chocolate molds

Candy stamps

A collection of antique cocoa boxes

I had to stop here and try out the merchandise.

A Key Lime Cupcake, was as good as it sounds and looks

First pretzel bakery in the new world, right here in Lititz, Pennyslvania

Kathy and the giant pretzel of Lititz

Chincoteague, Virgina

We were able to get away this weekend for a trip to Chincoteague, Virginia. The beach was packed with people and the wildlife refuge was packed with birds. We hadn't been there in a while and were surprised by some changes, like the new causeway bridge that now obstructs the pristine view of the marsh on the bay from our favorite hotel. Many shops on the island have gone out of business and new ones have sprung up, but generally things are much the same. The beach on Assateague Island now is much shorter beach and has no dunes. The wildlife refuge however, seems very much the same. It was good to see the water level high. Fall migration has started and we were able to see some nice birds. Here is a list of some of our favorites: Brown Pelican, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Black-Necked Stilt, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Long-Billed Dowitcher, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Osprey, Double-Crested Cormorant, Green-Backed Heron, Little Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron, Piping Plover, Caspian Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Laughing Gull, Great Black-Backed Gull, American Oystercatcher, Canada Goose, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret.



A view of Snow Goose Pond in early morning

Bird tracks on the beach

Greater Black-Backed Gull

Here is the reason that most people come to the Wildlife Refuge on Assateatue Island, a view of the wild ponies of Chincoteague.