TRAVEL VIDEO & PHOTOGRAPHS TARGETS

Context from multiple views, 3D from motion parallax, visual surprises from point of view and hidden gems. Surprise reveal to create drama by looking for visually engaging views and then find a surprising transition in. Hide behind foreground and track side/vertical to interest, pan to interest.

iPhone 14

12MP Ultra Wide: 13 mm, ƒ/2.2 aperture and 120° field of view

48MP 1x Main: 24 mm 60 deg FOV 30 arcsecs optical resolution. 9 mm diagonal 1X1um pixel.

12MP 3x Telephoto: 77 mm 20 deg FOV, up to 15x with digital zoom = 400mm store RAW and denoise (soft), 25 asec l/s resolution with sharpening.

Video 9x max = 200mm. 20 asecs pitch resolution. HDTV pixel count.

Sony 7as 100mm 2 x better resolution.

For walking landscape track use cell pone + Hyperlapse 5x + Active track and move slowly.

Turntable side track use Activetrack to maintain orientation.

For forward, back or close side track use cell phone + full lock + Action mode 1x.

For telephoto up to 200mm, use cell phone 2x (50mm) lens w/o Hyperlapse, wave stabilize in PP, zoom and sharpen in PS.

Beyond 200mm, use NikonP1000 stepped frames with carefully alignment to target, in roughly 0.5degree increments to cover at least 10 deg, combine into movie and zoom in PS, stretch using 10% speed with Optical Force, wave stabilize in PP. 0.5 deg = 1 stride for every 100 m of distance from target, needs at least 20 frames.

For max realism in pan use fast follow, slow joystick and slow zoom.

Boat stationary -

Video with gimbal cell phone - No extra pixels to do image stab. Full lock gimbal - fast follow and Action mode up to 9x (200mm fl ) with post sharpening and stabilize. Camera on centerline of boat.

Still cell phone 15x (400mm fl) and 25 asec l/s resolution.

Nikon P1000 manual focus to deal with moving boat - resolution 5 asec l/s @ 400mm, 5x better than cell phone.

Boat driven - Action video handheld ,

Use 1x (24mm) for max stabilization

100mm for human perspective, so use 4x (100mm) lens on cell phone with gimbal.

Car

Cycle - Lock or Active track

Horse/Camel

Plane

Night view stills or time lapse -

cell phone Apple Night mode. Sony 7as 20mm or 100mm. Human ISO1 daylight, ISO800 low light.

Night view stills on boat - cell phone Mimo gimbal Lock, photo using Apple Night, or Procamera for RAW.

Moon, or eclipse sun, with foreground needs extreme depth of field using f16-f32 only on Sony 7as . 100mm lens at f32 has a 6m -inf DOF.

Planets - Nikon P1000 + Fornax stage, or Celestron SCT + Svbony +AVX stage

Galaxies - Celestron RASA + QHY RGB + AVX Stage

Nebula - Celestron RASA + QHY SHO + AVX or 100mm + QHY SHO + Fornax.

Milky Way - 20mm or 8mm + Sony7a, 100mm <5 secs exposure.

Wildlife -

P1000 still and video

Night wildlife still and video - Sony 7as no filter + f2 100mm + moon light or spot light. - 1/50 ISO12,800 --- Denoise (soft v.blurry), Autocolor, Hue to blue, Autocolor, Vib&Sat.

+ f6 400mm ---

C6 RASA f2 300mm - Sony 7as with USB to lap top running imaging edge.

Use spot light source as aiming aid, particularly for 400mm. An aiming light should be camera shoe mounted. Exposure light source needs to be 2 ft away from camera to create depth shadows. Using 3 stacked 10" brackets for 20" of distance. 1000lm focusable torch as light source, dim enough to not disturb animals and provide color images out at 20 meters and a 400mm lens.

Test - Dark corner 100mm S7as with IR filter ISO409k 2s S/N=1, 100mm QHY 183 = 230(35)mm -15C G30 0.5s. S/N = 10.

At home Celestron RASA +Svbony or Cooled QHY camera for real time. 100mm lens. shot noise ? Run night test.

The Earth at Night series uses full moon light and a Canon ME20 camera $20K !. Featuring an astonishing 4M ISO rating 0.0005lux , the Canon ME20F-SH Multi-Purpose Camera captures video at up to 1920 x 1080p 60 and supports both NTSC and PAL broadcast frame rates. The camera incorporates a full frame 35mm-sized sensor with approximately 2.26 million pixels. This results in a pixel that is about 19 microns, 3 x larger than the pixels on Sony 7as Full-frame DSLR cameras, 10x more sensitive reflected in the 10x higher ISO maximum. Used large f 100mm, and a large catadioptric lens f8 1000mm full frame.

People - Nikon P1000 or Cell phone + ProCamera stabilized. Collect RAW, denoise and sharpen for best results, avoid source jpeg.

Underwater snorkle - need a GoPro 11, 27 Mpix, 8mm diagonal chip, 10 bit color, better stabilization using crop.

GoPro Hero 11 FOV focal length lens (SuperView) FOV (16mm DSLR) 170 degrees. Linear FOV (19mm – 39mm DSLR) - no fisheye. 90 degrees using 2.5x digital crop. Only reason to use GoPro is waterproofing, is 10 bit RAW just for underwater for Gopro 11 worth it probably yes !

+ Movo dual light long 12" each side bracket. Use baffles to create a dark region in front of camera out to target, to minimize backscatter.

Underwater from boat, when swimming not an option - Gopro attached to selfie stick -. SANDMARC Pole - Metal Edition: 15-50" Waterproof Extension Stick (Pole) for GoPro Hero 11,

Rely on clear water to see targets. Tilt down makes screen visible. Use a 45 degree mirror or bucket view to see through surface. https://www.westmarine.com/marine-sports-underwater-viewer-bucket-2001931.html

Other action - running, biking, rowing, kyacking, white water. For Kyacking use head mount and safety.

Building stills, verticals need to be Y aligned. Use wide angle lens and keep camera level. For more resolution, use iPhone panorama in portrait mode,

Overhead view - need a drone.

Example scenarios;

Start with Sphinx dominating scene and then track showing the pyramids behind.

Use a window start with side view and then reveal what is through window. Walls, lintles and pillars all act as blocks.

Walk into room using door as block and panorama around.

Start low horizontal hold and move to max reach- about 3 meters.

Look for a tower view point track up over edge and out and then rotate down to overhead view.

Track down to low view of vegetation or water fall.

Transition between 2 views - , to avoid people use camera overhead. Start with view1 side track, pan or joystick to view2, zoom and front track towards new target. Best Activetrack pointing and side track best using slow follow, Best handle pan & tilt use fast follow. Use blocks for transitions, pillars, walls, traffic etc.

Story telling; travelogue, highlights, theme. For instance - Botswana travelogue, wildlife, White water, boating.

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TARGETS

India, Costa Rica, Dominica, Chile, Polar bear + Walrus

Owls King Ranch

Short Eared Owl at Brita Olsen Road just North of New Sweden and Manor. Go up 130 to Manor.

Armadillos - 1 type in N America, 9 in S America. Primarily Nocturnal., try full moon nights at Hornsby Bend.

At Commons Ford 2-5am best viewing by the stream towards the dock.

White tailed Kite (hover) Galveston Island all year - north in summer

Pangolin

Aardvark - relative of elephants. African savannah at night.

Leatherback Turtles

Snapping Turtles

Anteaters

Quoll, Tazmanian Tiger, Possums, Ecinda - Tazmania

Tigers in Jim Corbett NP in foothills from Delhi OR Rathambore from Jaipur

Puma, Jaguars - S America

Panda - China

Polar Bear - Churchill

Bobcats - common - try Point Reyes

Woodpeckers

Kingfishers

Beavers in Eastern WA, Teichert Ponds in Chico, California North of Sacramento

CO; Downstream of Peublo Reservior and upriver. in Fairview on 165 stream to west.

Lemurs in Madagascar

Chimps and Mountain Gorillas, Shoebill Stork in Uganda

Anteaters - in S Americas

Mountain goats - Mt. Evans, Grays Peak, Torreys Mountain, the Gore Range near Dillon, the Collegiate Mountain Range, and the Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan Mountains.

Ringtail Possum - Photo in CO and Tuson A

Here in Colorado ringtails are most often found in desert areas, especially in the southwest and western slope; however, a few have been recorded in the Front Range foothills, Cañon City Burger King! E of Pueblo.https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/colorado-front-range-ringtails also Pedernales

Reported at Pedernales in 2024, by river southern flow loop. Nocturnal Feb-May.

Seen in Circle C off of La Crosse 5/10/25

Coatis (racoon family) Madera Canyon AZ, Rincon de la Viega in Costa Rica

Porcupine, Hedgehogs

Polar Bear

Giant Panda

Walrus

Manatee/Dudong

Sperm Whales. .. Tonga, Dominica, Norway and New Zealand, sperm whales can be found all year round. Only males live there; as soon as they are big and strong enough, they move to warmer waters to mate. Until then, they remain in their hunting grounds all year round. Sperm whale safaris start in Norway from Andenes and in New Zealand from Kaikoura. Some sperm whales live in the Mediterranean off France, Italy and Spain, as well as off the Canary Islands, where they constantly migrate back and forth between Lanzarote, Tenerife and La Gomera. There is also a good chance of spotting them in the Ligurian Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar. Sperm whales are also regularly spotted in Iceland in summer, especially off the Snaefellsnes peninsula in the north-west of the island.

Bobcats

https://www.pointreyessafaris.com/safari

Full Day Safaris (10 hours): $795 for 1 person

https://amwestphoto.com/Safari%20Galleries/Images/Bobcat%20Safari/BobcatSafaris.htm

We meet at 7am at the Harris Ranch Intersection Chevron Station, or at the hotel lobby you are at the night before - located at the intersection of Highway 198 and Interstate 5 in Visalia.

2-day Safaris $800
Oct 8-9, Oct 29-30, Nov 4-5, Nov 25-26
Dec 3-4, Jan 7-8, Feb 19-20, March 3-4

https://www.pumapix.com/bobcat-photography-tour/

In Marin $1495 for December 13th-16th = 3 days

La Lomita Photo Ranch in Uvalde

Cost Rica Turtles

Costa Rica, Malaysia, and Gabon

July to October is turtle nesting season. Jan in 2024

Ridly Turtles nesting.

Nancite Beach is one of two sites in Costa Rica where the mass annual arribadas of olive ridley sea turtles take place. In early October, thousands of olive ridleys come to shore to nest in the thousands. Nancite Beach is remote. It will require some hiking to get to, and permission from the ranger station.
Ostinal beaches Aug-Nov - a few days before new moon.

https://costaricaexperts.com/costa-rica-sea-turtle-nesting-where-to-go-when

In Tamarindo - Best time for Las Baulas National Park -- N Pacific coast: October to February with the peak time in December and January.

Guided tours are available at night with a guide, but cannot be made more than eight days in advance.

When to visit for leatherback sea turtles: October – mid-February

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g309253-d19440234-Turtle_Nesting_Tour-Tamarindo_Province_of_Guanacaste.html

Leatherback Turtles - in 2024 Tortuguero canals

May 18 - 24 (full)
June 1 - 7 (new date!)

https://www.seeturtles.org/costa-rica-leatherback-turtle-volunteer-trip?msclkid=33492854caf818949d0f4df180851fa6

Leather back in May. Gandoca Manzanillo beach

https://ecoadventurescr.com/our-tours/

https://ecoadventurescr.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/New-May-Costa-Rica-2025-Leatherback-Tour.pdf

Coatis (racoon family) Rincon de la Viega in Costa Rica in NW Cost Rica near Atlantic.

Belize Wildlife

Snorkle with turtles

Birding

Ruins

5 day research support 2.2K pp

https://www.seeturtles.org/belize-wildlife-research?msclkid=43c5c6b04d3e149fe731a13ab28265ee

Dominica in Lesser Antilies

Sperm Whales Nov-July

Fossils

Ammonites at Monmouth Beach & Church Cliff, Lyme Regis

Scenery

Devils Tower and the Missouri Buttes about 12 miles distant on a moody October morning as seen from the Bearlodge Mountains.

2025

Hawaii Jan 20 -Feb3

LA - Joshua Tree Fan palm oases, and water impoundments are good places to search for birds. The Oasis of Mara, including the 29 Palms Inn at the west end, is a good bird viewing area. Cottonwood Spring has both cottonwood trees and fan palms to provide vegetation and shelter for a number of birds. When in the high desert areas of the park take a walk or two in the Queen and Lost Horse valleys and look for ladder-backed woodpecker, red-tailed hawk, oak titmouse, bushtit, black-tailed and blue-gray gnatcatchers, black-throated sparrow, and sage sparrow.

Mt Wilson Viewpoint 1hr from Pasadena

Pudingstone reservoir, San Dimas

Upper Newport Bay Preserve , Newport Beach

Oahu - Turtle Canyon tour from Waikiki, or Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve in E Honolulu.

Banzai Pipeline, located at Ehukai Beach on N shore.

Kawaii tour Lehua Crater (a Hawaii State Wildlife Sanctuary) and the mysterious Ni’ihau Island. Newell’s shearwater and the red-footed booby.

Travelogue - Joshua Tree, Birding, Oahu - Coast, Turtles, Kauai - Snorkle, Coast, Mountains.

Night photo opportunities.

Manitoba Owl Photography Late Feb early Mar

https://www.eagle-eye.com/tour/manitoba-owls-birding-tour/

3 days 4 nights $1175 in and out of Winnipeg MB. Typical temp 32F

United or Delta 1 stop

Manitoba Owls - Mar 8, 2025 to Mar 12, 2025

Owl videos with trapped stills

Night photo opportunities.

Iceland - June for long days 10 night trip - 2 spots a day or 1 spot and drive.

https://guidetoiceland.is/nature-info/what-to-do-in-iceland

Rekjavik 3 nights

Gullfoss Waterfall

Raufarhólshellir - 1.3km lava tube

Thingvellir NP - plate boundary -

Option - snorkelling https://www.viator.com/tours/Reykjavik/Silfra-Snorkeling-Tour-Self-Drive/d905-39217P7

Akureyri 2 nights - 4 hrs from Rekjavik

Grjotagia cave - plate boundary, North East iceland near lake

Godafoss waterfall north leg of Golden circle 4 hrs to drive.

Tjornes Penninula puffins

Hofn 3 nights 6.5 hrs

Dettifoss Waterfall, the Asbyrgi Canyon, and Husavik Village

Klifbrekkufossar at the head of Mjóifjörður - mulagljufur-1

Ingolfshofdi Cape - puffins

Viki Myrdal 2 night

Fjadrargljufur Canyon

Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach

Puffins at Dyrholaey Arch in south Iceland.

Rekjyavik 1 night

Travelogue - plate boundaries

IRELAND

Dublin, Cork and Limerick

PORTUGAL 10 nights mid June

Lisbon Setúbal Peninsula - 3 nights - Sammie lives in Lisbon.

Sintra Moorish castle.

Naval Museum

The Sado Estuary, decent amount of wildlife and some dolphin residents. Comporta has some really nice places to stay and lots of hiking around there too, dune ecosystems, etc.

In Lisbon proper there are some castle ruins (São Jorge) and an old monastery (Geronimo) that are worth the visit, also the tile museum.

Alentejo on way to Algarve some very historic towns and lots of wine/cheese if you're into that.

Algarve 3 night

We stay in Quinta do lago at the Four Seasons Fairways. ( the Ria Formosa) with mud flats and good walks nearby, lots of waders in particular. Head for Parking Av. Andre Jourdan to park. There is also a bird hide at Sao Lourenco. There are guided day excursions by boat from Faro into the estuary and a very nice stop at Restaurante Estamine for fresh oysters and fish at lunch time! The guide will talk about the ecology and birds to be seen. Further afield, Silves is worth a visit, storks on the rooves and authentic local atmosphere. If you can face the drive, heading west to the Atlantic coast is worth the trip, very large seas at times! And can be windy! There are also salt pans at Castro Marin and Santa Luzia which are well known birding spots. Head inland towards the mountains anywhere and the towns are less developed and more truly local. One speciality is suckling pig!

Snorkle opportunities ?

Porto 2 nights "Historic Centre of Porto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar".

Madrid 4 nights - Segovia and its Roman Aqueduct.

Paella cooking Class in Madrid with Bottomless Wine Pairing! By The Cooking Clubhouse

Best April - September for the migrating birds.

Travelogue - RIng road, Lisbon, Algarve, Porto,,Madrid.

Nikon 1000

iPhone 14

Gopro _ handle

Sa7s telephoto & 14mm - look for night photo opportunities in Iceland and Algarve

Head lamp

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2026

San Francisco

See Zavoli, Owen, Scott

Point Reyes - Bobcats and Owls.

Australia

$8k Utd Biz class via Houston. Houston - Sydney 18hrs.

Sewing class

Sydney

Perth and North Coast

NZ South Island - drive the West Coast

Pygmy Owls in King Ranch March

Costa Rica

Leatherback turtles and other wildlife. In May Gandoca Manzanillo beach.

May 12-20, 2025 $ 4,250

https://ecoadventurescr.com/our-tours/

https://ecoadventurescr.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/New-May-Costa-Rica-2025-Leatherback-Tour.pdf

Summer

Wilderness travel - midsummer here, midwinter in S Africa.

Madagascar off the beaten track 15 days $7695 - Lemurs. Andasibe NP / Lemur Island NP/Antananarivo, Kirindy, Anja/Isalo

Madagascar private journey 9 days $7000. Andasibe NP / Lemur Island NP/Antananarivo

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for Gorillas It is important to note that among the gorilla trekking national parks, Bwindi is the most ideal for the elderly. Why? Because it is situated in less mountainous areas. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is not part of the Virunga ranges of mountains like the other three national parks. It sits on lower altitude and the trails are relatively flat compared to Mgahinga and the Volcanoes National Park.

https://www.silverbackgorillatours.com/gorilla/gorilla-trekking-for-the-elderly-old-and-disabled

Mission Africa Safaris (silverback gorilla tours) seems to be focused on gorilla tours for the elderly.

Arrive from Kigali Rwanda instead of Entebbe in Uganda. The driving time and distance from Kigali to Bwindi impenetrable forest is shorter. Driving from Entebbe to Bwindi can take 8 hours or more. From Kigali, it takes only 3 hours to reach Bwindi forest.

5 day tour $3700 inc. passes. $400 for sedan chair

Kibale - chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park
Visiting the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary
QE park
Gorilla tracking in Bwindi
Fly back to Entebbe

The best time of the year when you should go for gorilla trekking in Uganda is June, July, August and September. If that is not possible, January and February should be relatively okay.

Silverback Gorilla Expeditions have the best 8 day itinerary $5200 inclusive.

WT seems fuzzy on coping with oldies - $1500 for sedan ? Not enough local knowledge.

UK trip October

One way car drop off $100.

London to Edinburgh 8 hrs drive - 2 days one driver !

London - Classes, British Museum

Winchester

Cotswolds - Classes,

Birmingham - Classes - drop off car.

Dundee

Inverness - rent a car.

Skye & islands

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2027

Dominica '

Swim with Sperm whales 6 days - stay at Fort Long $6.5k pp lunch & dinner extra.

GREECE
Athens

Santorini - Akrotiri - Beaches - edge of caldera - tour of crater.

Crete - Knossos

Thessaloniki - Monasteries - Lake Kerkini for Dalmatian Pelicans

Verginia nr. Thessaloniki and the Place of Aigai where Alexander the Great was started.

https://www.natural-greece.gr/tours/northern-greece-birdwatching-holiday/

TURKEY

Istambul - Agia Sofia,

Epheysus - Roman ruins

Cappodocia - Ancient dwelling.

Switzerland

Shilthorn

Eiger

Geneva

Hungary

Danube delta

North Canada

Newfoundland - Twillingate or Iceberg alley in June.

NF to Labrador and Greenland cruise with WT.

North west passage cruise.

Yukon

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2028

China

https://www.chinatours.com/china-tours-reviews/

https://www.chinatours.com/tour/11-days-beauty-of-china/

This 11 days tour takes you to the ancient and modern capitals of China, as well as cruising you through some of China’s most iconic and beautiful natural landscapes. Visit Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin and Shanghai, and cruise along the Li River mid-tour. You’ll marvel at the incredible history and be equally astounded by breathtaking pace of modern China. Fascinating Beijing, with its contemporary and past glories, includes the Great Wall, Forbidden City and Summer Palace. Catch a high speed train across country to Xi’an, where you’ll enjoy the spirited energy and exquisite food of this city before traveling to Guilin and then Yangshuo, cruising the Li River on the way. Make a final stop in Shanghai, Pearl of the Orient, with its sophisticated culture and colonial past, evident in Yuyuan Garden, The Bund, and Shikumen Museum. Bringing together ancient history, natural landscapes, and modern China, this tour includes all in country transfers, 10 nights hotel accommodation, daily buffet breakfast, half day Li River cruise, high speed train travel, fully guided tour with driver transport, airport transfers, and more!

Nanjing close to Shanghai is the traditional Ming capital.

Suzhou - Prefecture-level city in Jiangsu, China, former capital of the kingdom of Wu. Silks and city. also just outside Shanghai.

Japan extension

Hokaido

Nara

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N America

Nova Scotia

Newfoundland

Montana NP's

La to SF coast road

New Orleans

Great Lakes

Meteor Crater AZ

Wildlife Rehab Scottsdale AZ

Salt Lake City

Washington DC

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan

Silk road tour with WT - 25 days $11k reveal a rich historical and ethnic canvas, filled with dazzling scenery and a multitude of architectural wonders. From the blue-domed Silk Road oasis of Samarkand, where Tamerlane once held sway, to Issyk-Kul, a vast alpine lake surrounded by the forested peaks of the Tien Shan,

MOROCCO / TUNISIA

SCOTLAND

Edinburgh

Glen Coe

Skye - Lewis

Norway

Fyords

Bergen

Costa Rica - wildlife similar to Amazon

Wilderness Travel

San Jose Museo de Oro in San Jose ?

Corcovado. Tiskita Jungle Lodge Set on a verdant hillside between Pavones and Punta Banco,

Tortuguero on Carabean

Arenal

South America

Falklands and South Georgia Photo cruise with WT

Chile - with Justin . Torres Del Paine - Mountain Lions.

Pantanal in South Brazil towards Paraguay. close to Iguwara Falls.

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Thailand

Khao Sok NP good for animals in wetter season.

Phang Nga - Karst scenery

Cambodia

Ankor Wat

Myanmar

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Italy

Rome

Pompeii

Sicely

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HISTORY OF IDEAS

See history page. Egypt, Greece, France, Spain, UK.

Pharoses, Greek Enlightenment, Crusading monarchs, Renaissance, Secular democracy.

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Scenic

Palo Duro Canyon - lighthouse rock. just south of Amarillo

Monument Rock, Oakely KS om I70 close to CO border.

Underwater Targets

coral, turtles, whales, fish, birds.

Turtle nesting on South Padre Is

Grebe mating Clear Lake, Lake County, California, USA https://www.jstor.org/stable/26428102. end of Feb early March

Klamath Falls - near Crater Lake

Balmoreha, at turn off for Fort Davis. Note: Google Maps directions are incorrect and will take you to a private road. Instead, drive into the center of town and turn left (east) on Houston Street. Then continue straight until at the lake.

The 5 main spots to bird are: https://birdinglocations.com/balmorhea-lake/

Entrance road
Lake Dam
South Shore
Desert Shrub
Southwest Overlook

Osprey fishing

Owls - LBWC entry way

Hummer nest

Gold Cheeked Warbler - South Llano River State Park & Lost Maples

Nocturnal animals best during full moon.

https://birdinglocations.com/texas-owl-species/

Locations to see Elf Owls in Texas:

Bentsen Rio Grande State Park – hole in a telephone pole just before La Familia Nature Center
Kickapoo Caverns State Park – around the campsites
Fort Pena Colorado Park (Marathon, TX) or Camp Pena Colorado Post Park. (southbound Avenue D, aka Post Road,
Davis Mountains State Park
Big Bend National Park – Dugout Wells, Chisos Mnts. Basin, Rio Grande Village, Cottonwood Campground
These tiny owls are migratory and breed in Texas during the spring and summer, but then fly south in the fall. So be sure to look and listen for these guys in the warmer months, starting in late April.
Wait until evening at last light when they begin poking their heads out of tree cavities can start vocalizing.

Locations to see Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl in Texas:

King Ranch (Norrias Division) – requires a paid birding tour. The King Ranch is the go-to place for these owls. The Norrias Division of the ranch hosts the largest known population of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl in the United States. It’s private property, but they offer day-long birding tours where a guide will take you right to the owls. The cost for the 9 hour tour is $170. https://king-ranch.com/visit/our-tours/nature-tours/ (361) 592-8055. Trips start in March W/F/Sa. No overnights in 2024.
Brush Line Road – north of Edinburg. North side of Hwy 186.
Hwy 186 – east of Raymondville, along the road between San Perlita and Port Mansfield.

Good areas in Texas to search for Barn Owl include:

Katy Prairie Conservancy – Northwest Houston
Granger Lake – roads along the open fields in this area.
Rio Grande Valley – especially around Bentsen State Park, Estero State Park, and Laguna Atascosa.
Lubbock Area – County roads outside city limits, especially early before 6:30am.
Far West Texas – Marathon (Gage Gardens), Dell City agricultural fields, around Balmorhea after dark.
Greater Corpus Christi Area- back roads from Kingsville, to Three Rivers, and over to Goliad.

El Sauz Ranch - Ocelots

Puffins - Alaska Seward , Iceland.

Armadillo -

Otter - Granger Lake and Barn Owl

Golden Cheeked Warbler in April- May Pecan Springs Karst Reserve 5 miles North of Jarrell. info@hillcountryconservancy.org 512 328 2481.

Beavers - common in TX in burrows in river banks such as Rio Grande in Big Bend, lodges and dams are typical of colder climes.

ttps://landmarkwildlife.com/otters-and-beavers-in-texas-yes-texas

Ringtail Texas - Hill Country - Enchanted Rock a good target - nocturnal ... try a moonlite night. they prefer rocky areas such as rock piles, stone fences, canyon walls, and talus slopes. Ringtails are expert climbers, capable of climbing vertical walls to find the most protected crevices, crannies, and hollows in which to build their dens. Insects and small mammals such as rabbits, mice, rats and ground squirrels. Ringtails in walls

Pedernales - golden cheeked warblers April- May.

Big bend - ringtails, mountain lion, elf owl in March at dusk in Cottonwood Campground, beavers ?

N Mexico; bears, sheep etc. https://gobigbend.com/ 432 386-5635

Barrier island - Assateague Island is the Delaware barrier island. - part of visit to Washington. Native wild horses.

Mountain Lions in Patagonia, and US Rockies Dec-April.

https://bodhiexpeditions.wordpress.com/ 970.901.6516 in CO, out of business in 2023.

https://www.southwestwildlife.org/resident-animals/mountain-lion.html

Tigers in India and Huai Kha Khaeng Sanctuary near Bangcok in Thailand.

https://www.wfft.org/projects/tiger-rescue-centre/# south of Bangcok.

Primates; Gorillas, Chimps, Orangutan, Colobus, Mander

Bolivia

The dinosaur track site at Cal Orck’o in Bolivia (Nestled on the outskirts of Sucre, Bolivia) is one of the most extraordinary paleontological discoveries in the world. Located near the city of Sucre, this site features a nearly vertical limestone wall that stretches over 1.5 kilometers and rises about 80 meters high, known as the “Dinosaur Dancefloor.” This wall is etched with more than 5,000 individual footprints made by at least eight different species of dinosaurs that roamed the area approximately 68 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period.

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Evolution of landscapes

Erosion

Rivers - R. Zambezi,

Valleys - Grand Canyon

Glaciers - Rocky ice caps,

Deposition

Beaches - Devon, CA

Sand dunes - Sand Dune NP

Drift

3D map

Build up

Uplifted mountains - Rockies, Seirras,

Volcanoes - Mt Hood/St Helens, Hawaii, Crater lake,

Landscapes

Water Eroded fractured sandstones & limestones

Grand Canyon

Zambezi canyon - Victoria Falls

Petra

Zion

Moab

Grand Staircase

Monument Valley

Ice Eroded sandstones & limestones

Aliaka

Rockies - ice caps

Mt Assinaboine

Re-deposits

Barrier islands

Devon beaches

Okavambo Delta

Amazon

Volcanic hot spot islands

Hawaii

Galapagos

Iceland

Craters

Mt St Helens

Crater Lake

Yellowstone

Santorini

Volcanic drift zones

Mt Hood

La Veta fissures

Uplift Igneous & metamorphic

Sierra Nevada - Metamorphic with huge igneous volcanic inclusions such as Yosimite.

Tetons - igneous east, sandstone west

Denali - igneous

Skye - basalt and gabbro igneous rock.

Linda Carradi - went in Jan 2024.

Hi Mike! I hope you and Renee are both doing well. The gorilla treks were incredible. We did 2, one was pretty easy and one was what I would call difficult. The first one we had to hike a very short distance in the jungle. It took maybe 10 mins to get to the gorillas. There was a little walk to the jungle, but it wasn’t bad. We happened to be with a woman who needed to be “carried,” which they will do for an extra $300. They put you on a stretcher (will send a pic) and carry you through the jungle. She was able to walk the first part. The second day was a different story. We hiked for 2 hrs up through the jungle, altho the beginning part was through a bamboo forest and not too terrible. You had to put on a raincoat and rain pants in the jungle to keep off the stinging thistle plants. So it got a bit hot. We had an hour with the gorillas. We did have to walk a bit once we were near to them, and that was also a bit tricky. Everyone had their own porter to help them climb and to carry our backpacks. I don’t know the cost of the porter, but we did tip $20 per person. The first day our drive was quite short, the second was about 90 mins, I believe the furthest point. You have two rangers, several trackers and a guy with a gun and one or two guys with machetes to clear your path. I never felt unsafe. It was an incredible adventure and I would highly recommend doing it. You have to reserve spots pretty far in advance. They only allow 100 ppl per day to go. We were in Rwanda. You can also do it in Uganda (and a third country - Congo?). The Rwandan people were incredible. Lmk if you want any more information. xo

We did a private tour with wilderness travel, so they arranged everything. We took our daughters and boyfriends with us. We had a gentleman named Martin as a guide in Rwanda. He was more of a driver than a guide. He was very nice but not much more. The guide in Tanzania was outstanding. I can tell you the hotels we stayed in while in Rwanda. We were there for 5 days, but had to extend bc the airline cancelled our flights (which we knew far in advance) - so we did a golden monkey tour the next day. I was sick so did t get to go, but the kids like it. Not strenuous at all.

Uganda private journey 8 days $6995 + $1500 flights and park fees - Chimps and Gorillas. Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi IR

Use Nairobi as the hub and travel via Europe. (Bots + Zimb = 17 days total) 22h total 9 hr to London, 9 hrs to Nairobi. Use AA. JFK to Nairobi on Kenya Airlines 15h. Nairobi - Madagascar 3hrs.

GABON

Lope National Park Gabon is one of the only parks in Africa where you can see the Mandrills. No other park in Central Africa is considered more vital for primates than Lopé National Park, the oldest and one of the most astounding biospheres on the African continent. Lope National Park Gabon is home to over 1400 endangered mandrills as well as 420 bird species, the national park is equally a stronghold for western gorillas, sun-tailed guenon, black colobus,

MADAGASCAR

Andasibe National Park / Lemur Island NP

Ankarana / Antananarivo

Berenty Reserve / Antananarivo

wilderness do an extension to Queen Elizabeth & local chimps.

At higher altitudes, the cool, dry months, from May to October, are best for hiking.

Lowland gorillas eastern in Kahuzi-Biega National Park in Congo on the great rift valley near Goma, western in Congo

RWANDA

Nyungwe Forest NP - very diverse inc. chimps and colobus monkey, accessible forest 5 hrs from Kigali. contains Mt Karonje.

Volcanoes NP for mountain gorillas and golden monkeys.

3 day trip to see chimps etc. https://www.nyungweforestnationalpark.org/chimpanzee-trekking-nyungwe-forest-national-par/

TANZANIA

Gombe Stream National Park - Jane Goodall chimps

UGANDA

Queen Elizabeth NP - Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge. v popular park.

Kibale NP was easy access to see Chimps - Use Imagine Travel or Natural World Safaris. The footage of the so-called Ngogo chimps, which live in a remote region of Uganda's Kibale National Park, comes from an upcoming Netflix documentary series Chimp Empire. It premieres on April 19, 2023.

CONGO

Kahuzi-Beiga NP - lowland gorillas

GABON

Loango NP - lowland gorillas.

SOUTH AFRICA

Cape Town

NAMIBIA

Fish River Canyon just over SA border

Skeleton Coast

Sossusvlei Sand Dunes

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