TravelCent » Animals

Wife Discovers Interest in Bird Watching in Cape May

Scott — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:43:21 +0000

Carol had heard that he could experience some of the greatest birding opportunities of his life at Cape May, New Jersey. So, he finally convinced his wife to go with him and last summer they spent two full weeks in one of the hotels Cape May. His wife Bonnie enjoyed the beautiful afternoons on the beach and actually developed an interest in Carol’s fascination with the different bird species. This is something that she just couldn’t understand before and always thought her husband was a bit odd, for being so obsessed with the migratory bird populations and their habits. However, finding herself in a more receptive mood their on the beautiful island paradise, she listened to his endless chatter and even found herself paying attention and taking an interest.

Determining bird species and following their migration patterns had been a hobby/quickly turned passion of Carol’s for about five years. He had always been interested in birds, though and experience with a work associate five years ago really inspired him to pursue it. Bonnie bought him a book that year for his birthday and it turned out to be one of the best guides he could get. Of course he thought that meant his wife supported his hobby and had even taken an interest in it. It couldn’t be further from the truth.

However, as they watched the birds and Carol explained the species to Bonnie that summer, she actually began to try and do it on her own. The next morning Carol disappeared for twenty minutes and returned to present Bonnie with a binocular harness. Bonnie wasn’t sure what to do with it, but Carol explained that he was going to buy her her own set of binoculars, but instead thought she should pick them out herself. He would go with her and they could get her some that afternoon, and Bonnie was actually very excited. She even tried on her brand new harness.

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Wife Discovers Interest in Bird Watching in Cape May

Cape Town Birds

Scott — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:14:16 +0000

All of my friends knows how much I love birds. I love to draw them, paint them, sew them a just plain watch them. It was my second day of my trip to South Africa and I really got some great experiences with the native birds. Actually, a little bit more than I wanted to. I left my room at one of Cape Town South Africa Hotels just in time to take a guided tour of the peninsula.

My guide stopped at a penguin viewing area where we all were able to get off the tour van and walk right up, super close to these wonderfully funny birds. One penguin I approached didn’t seem to happy about me getting up close and personal. I found out why, she was protecting her eggs. Another one let me sit right next to him, he was so cute. Another penguin was too camera shy and kept turning his head away from me everytime I lifted up my camera to take a picture, so I only managed to get his profile. Everyone on my tour was having just as much fun as I was with all the cute little penguins. What a fun trip.

After my tour, I was dropped off back at my hotel and I decided to take a nice nap. I was still feeling the effects of jet-lag. I was so tired that I missed eating lunch. I awoke about four hours later and decided I should go out for a quick bite. I ended up at McDonald’s believe it or not. Through experience I found that, most of the time, McDonalds which are in other countries tend to be better than the ones in the States. But, this really wasn’t the case here in South Africa. After I ate, I strolled around the downtown area.

It was nice to be able to see the mountains from everywhere I looked from any part of downtown. Oh, yes, to complete my bird story! As I was walking around this water fountain, I realized that there were a lot of birds flying around. I was even thinking how I’ve never been pooped on by a bird before. Then I crossed the street and strolled around this little market and as I was leaving the market, I felt something wet drop on my head. At first I thought someone had thrown a rubber ball at my head, but upon inspection and to my absolute horror, I realized that a bird had pooped on my head. Thankfully, I was only a few blocks from my hotel room. I bet all those South African had a good laugh at the expense of a silly white American woman.

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Cape Town Birds

The Bengal Tiger

Scott — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:35:13 +0000

Delhi India is a major city with much to offer in the realm of cultural arts and entertainment. However, to really experience much of the natural beauty and wonders of India, a tourist may have to venture far outside the city. For those adventure seekers, willing to travel the distance and make their way through the country’s terrain, they may actually be able to see first hand one of the beautiful Bengal tigers. This is becoming less of a possibility due to the increased endangerment of this amazing species. Tourists staying in one of the five star hotels in Delhi may even explore some of the conservation efforts the country is putting forth.

The Bengal tiger is a subspecies of the well-known Siberian tiger and is known for its beautiful stripes. It is most commonly found in India and Bangladesh, although they have also been seen in parts of Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and Myanmar. It is one of the largest of the Siberian tiger subspecies and historically has been one of the most populous. These amazing animals were at one time found throughout the Indian Subcontinent, though their natural habitat has been greatly reduced due to increasing amounts of interaction with humans and technology. At this point, while most of the world’s tigers are still found in India, they are reduced to small, isolated populations, which contributes to their danger of extinction.

The diet of the Bengal tiger consists entirely of meat, which classifies them as carnivores. They eat a variety of other animals that are found in their natural habitat including water buffalo, boars, deer and antelope, among many others. Occasionally they will also consume smaller animals such as monkeys, birds and rabbits, though this is not enough to sustain their necessary daily calorie intake. Also, though infrequently, they have been known to consume other major predators as the need demands. Because humans have encroached upon their natural habitat, the Bengal tigers have been known to attack and eat humans. This should serve as a precaution to over eager tourists who may wish to get up close and personal.

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The Bengal Tiger

Red Panda

Scott — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:51:39 +0000

India has many natural wonders and beautiful scenic aspects. As with every country’s geography, there is a natural habitat that is included in the cultural orientation. The Red Panda of India is one of those features. Tourists staying in a five star hotel India may wish to explore the country’s geographic elements as well as its major cities and urban landmarks. While the Red Panda is known as a beautiful animal original to the Himalayas it is also indigenous to Pakistan, Laos, Burma, Nepal and of course India.

The small mammal is commonly known as the Firefox or Lesser Panda, with the Red Panda being its Western name. The term Red Panda most likely originates from the Nepali word ponya. This became the standard Western name for it in 1821 when Thomas Hardwicke introduced it to Europe. It is also known as the Wah due to its unique cry. It is also called a Cat Bear because it resembles a small bear though it washes itself much like a cat. The panda is slightly larger than a domestic cat, which contributes to the association. It is classified as a vulnerable species due to continual declines in its population because of habitat fragmentation. Its diet is mostly composed of bamboo and it is primarily considered to be an herbivore.

These endearingly charming creatures are most active at dusk and dawn, making them crepuscular. During most of the day they are sedentary and can be found lounging in the trees. They only increase their activity in the early evening and early morning. They are extremely skilled acrobats and spend most of their time in the trees. They are generally solitude animals and rarely, if ever, live in groups with another. The pandas begin their day with a washing ritual of licking their paws and using them to massage their backs, stomachs and faces. The next item on their agenda is to patrol their territory and ensure their boundary markings. They spend their evenings searching for food. This is one of the rare times they come to the ground, though they don’t stay long.

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Red Panda