Brad

If you read my blog regularly, then you may know that I recently returned from a bird watching excursion to Jamaica. My articles about the experience talk about the flora and fauna and the wonderful time I had there. They also talk about the warm hospitality that I was shown wherever I went. This may seem like a stark contrast to the news that is coming out of Jamaica in the last fews days.

The government of Jamaica has declared a state of emergency in the nation’s capitol, Kingston as gangs of “thugs” have attacked several police stations in west Kingston, Spanish Town, and a couple of other surrounding areas with an arsenal of assault weapons. Some of Jamaica’s police officers have even been killed.

These gangs are attacking in a vain attempt to stop the extradition of a popular crime boss from Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town in west Kingston. Christopher “Dudus” Coke is the subject of an extradition request from the US government. It is alleged that he is heavily involved in gun running, drug trafficking and controls some violent gangs not only in Jamaica, but in the US as well. The fact that his supporters are all armed with assault rifles in Jamaica would seem to lend credence to the gun running accusation… I’m just saying.

He has said that he will not turn himself in and his well-armed supporters have declared that they will defend him with their lives. Already they have killed several police officers. These are criminals who don’t care about Jamaica as a nation or about anyone but themselves. They are not typical of the average Jamaican or anyone that I met while I was there just one month ago. They are a minority of the population confined to a few areas in and around the capitol, Kingston.

Jamaica is a great place to visit. The people are generally friendly and the area is usually as safe as any major US city. Right now, of course, people might want to avoid Kingston and environs, which, unfortunately, includes one of the island’s major airports, the Normal Manley International Airport. Visitors can still fly in to the Montego Bay airport, whose name escapes me at the moment…

Jamaica is a beautiful vacation destination, full of charm. The island is almost completely dependent upon tourism for the sustenance of its economy. The nation, as are many smaller countries, is in deep debt and needs the tourism revenue to stay afloat. In a few weeks, I expect all this will have blown over, Dudus will have been captured or killed and things will be back to normal.

I was lucky enough to be invited by the Jamaica Tourist Board to visit the island and see the amazing bird watching opportunities that Jamaica has to offer. Jamaica has 28 endemic bird species (species that live only in Jamaica) and it is possible to see them all in one trip with a knowledgeable local guide. I missed a couple of them, but the trip was meant to be an overview to get me to see a number of different birding locations in Jamaica rather than personally get me to see as many birds as possible.
I, along with five other journalists who focus on bird watching topics, was put up at two of Jamaica’s finest eco-friendly hotels/ lodges during my stay. Both offer great food and accomodations while maintaining environmentally sound business practices. I enjoyed both Hotel Mocking Bird Hill and Forres Park very much. We were able to find unique birds on the grounds of both places and both were within relatively easy driving distance of some of Jamaica’s top birding habitats (for the experienced local drivers that were provided to us).
Click this link to read more about the bird watching vacation in Jamaica or click here if you just want to see the pictures from the Jamaica trip.

Owls are some of the most fascinating birds to watch. When we find them, they tend to sit still so that we can get a good look at them. Their large eyes and facial markings seem to give them personalities. Owls, as cute as they are, are powerful hunters that belong to the raptor class of birds, like hawks and eagles. Because many of them are nocturnal, it can be difficult for the average person to find owls. Several of the naturalist organizations in the area, however, have talented guides who organize owl spotting trips several times throughout the year. NH Audubon is one such organiztion.

Here’s a helpful guide to identifying three of New England’s owls: the boreal owl, the barred owl and the barn owl. This guide has videos of all three species and links to hear their calls. There is also a small slideshow which includes some pics of the barn owl in flight.

As you may know, I write a column on birdwatching for the Manchester, NH edition of Examiner.com. As a part of that column, I regularly go out into the field and take pictures of birds and various birdwatching locations around New England. I have the opportunity to hang around with many excellent bird photographers (of which I am not one). However, despite my ordinary point and shoot, autofocus digital camera and lack of formal training and experience, I and my readers enjoy the bird photogrpahs that I do take and publish. There are a few basic tips that can help anyone take better bird and wildlife photographs and that is the topic of my latest Manchester Bird Watching Examiner article, called Bird Watching 101: How to Take Better Bird Photos. If you’ve ever wanted to improve your nature and wildlife photography, this article is a good place to start for those just starting out and with only a basic digital camera.

Nature photogrpahy and wildlife photography in particular, is a great family activity that is enjoyable, educational, and eart-friendly. Whether you are going on a birdwatching vacation or just snapping some pics of the birds at your backyard feeder, use these simple tips to get better pics.

I recently had the opportunity to discuss the current situation in the Galapagos Islands with an acquaintance who is a professional nature photographer and who had just returned from the islands. He highlighted a number of issues that are facing the Galapagos Islands at the present time. Population pressures and the high number of tourists visiting the islands are posing a serious threat to the fragile ecosystem of the Galapagos. The most serious threat of all, however, is the perception among local Galapaguenos that the Ecuadorian government cares more for a tortoise egg than it does for the human beings who inhabit the islands. This perception is exacerbated by the Ecuadorian government’s policy of deporting people from the islands to control population pressures, while constantly increasing the limit on the number of tourists who are allowed to visit the park. Since each tourist pays a surcharge to the government, it is clear to see the motivation of those setting the policies. This is the cause of growing resentment among the people of the Galapagos Islands who feel that high-end tourism benefits rich politicians in mainland Ecuador, but does little or nothing to help the villagers climb out of poverty. Meanwhile, High-end cruise ships bring tourists to the Galapagos in a manner that prevents any interaction with the local economy. Locals say the cruise ships drop off their trash on the Galapagos and take away scarce fresh water from the islands. Something has got to give soon…

Click the link to read more about how the fragile ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands is being threatened by rising population pressures and the wrong kind of tourism.