An Observation of the Rare African Drop Bear, Lion Variant
Ah, the drop bear. Often thought of as an Australian myth, or an amusing joke used to scare tourists at the very least. As legend has it, they are koala-like in appearance, but with fearsome sharp teeth. They will ambush the unsuspecting who come within spitting distance of their arboreal perch. Drop bears are even referenced by Sir Terry Pratchett as one of the unusual creatures of Fourecks (an island eerily similar to Australia). The drop bear certainly seems to have Australian roots if cryptozoology were to tell the tale. But I have seen them. And I’m here to tell you the truth: drop bears are African, through and through.…
The Best of London: Morning Museums and Afternoon Tea
After a safari vacation full of early days and injury, what sounds better than Belgian chocolates and French cheese? A few months after a tour of Uganda, I headed back across the pond for a European vacation. A striking contrast to my safari experience, a friend and I visited a few major European cities – London, Paris, and Brussels. Because sometimes a girl has to explore the world for more than its wildlife. I say that, but I’m about to start talking about birding; it’s possible I don’t have the greatest self-awareness. For me, our most pleasant day in London was in the Kensington area, taking in Hyde Park and…
An Entertaining Wildlife Cruise on the Kazinga Channel
We’d reached the halfway point – Day 6 of my Uganda Highlights tour. What began as my quest for shoebills quickly morphed into a regular maelstrom of butterflies, frequent big game sightings, and – as luck would have it – some fine feathered friends. Uganda had made a very positive impression thus far, and the afternoon promised to continue that trend. We were scheduled to spend a couple hours on a boat, seeing all the birds and other wildlife Queen Elizabeth National Park could offer. A Morning Drive We started our day with a big game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park, during which we spotted more birds than big…
Great Apes and Green-Breasted Pittas in Kibale
Day 4 of a 12-day Uganda “highlights” tour held the promise of the green-breasted pitta, one of the country’s most difficult species, and a short chimpanzee trek. We left our lodge early. No, I mean seriously early. It was still dark. We spent time stargazing after arriving at Kibale National Park, our birding destination for the day. Yes, this is how I choose to spend my vacation. I do admit to questioning my choices from time to time, but usually those times are around 4a.m. Treasure Hunting (for Birders) I have to admit that I didn’t know much about this pitta. The pittas are almost unmistakable in shape and structure…
The Spectacular Shoebill Swamps of Uganda
My bird tour of Uganda began in late May 2019. I arrived in Entebbe at about midnight for the tour that began at 6am the next morning. This was a highlights tour – about 12 days rather than the 19 days of the full, classic tour. And for duration and price, this option fit my needs perfectly. Especially since I was in Uganda for one bird. Yep, I paid for this tour and spent about 18 hours in transit to see one single bird: the Shoebill. #priorities? Operation Shoebill A bird named for its most noticeable feature, an impressive bill that is not, in fact, a shoe. It’s probably shoe-shaped.…
New Year, New Blog: Curing a Case of Wanderlust
In 2020, we learned what it was like to stay home. A lot. Generally there was no other choice, right? Especially for those of us who belong to an at-risk population (or love someone who is). I’m actually a raging introvert, but consecutive months of isolation have not been entirely positive for my normally super-rosy disposition. So what’s the best way to take charge of mental health and fight back against the overwhelming feeling of stir-crazy? Start a blog! Ok, maybe it’s not “the best” option. But I hate running too much to take up marathon training, so here we are... I’m afraid my 2020 was similar to that of…
