Spots!

Leopards leapin' in the trees. This is a pair that is likely together because it was mating time. They were hanging out in the grass for a while, then were very kind and hopped up into the tree for us to see them better.

Stripes

Zebras on the Ngorogoro Crater Rim! Zebras also migrate long distances like wildebeests. They depend on the rich volcanic soil in the Gelae Plains, north of Tarangire in order to produce good milk for their babies. If the migration corridor gets cut off, like what is happening in Mtowambu because the city is expanding, then there will not be anymore ungulates in the northern plains.

Bush Dogs

Here is a video of a parent successfully foraging for its offspring! We saw this Golden Jackal crossing the road, then looking around. Its pups finally all came out of hiding from all directions and pounced all over their lunch.

It keeps going...

I have lots of elephant footage. A juvie trumpets at us!

Elephants

More!

Tarangire National Park

There are tons of elephants in Tarangire National Park. We were lucky to see so many, and so close. However, there is a great threat to them - poaching. It sorta seems like that went out of style in the 80s when ivory was banned. But, the ivory trade has made a huge comeback, and it is at the expense of these animals. In 2012, 2 dozen elephants have been killed, just in the small Tarangire area. There is very little being done to prevent poaching, and unfortunately game meat is cheaper than buying beef or goat from Maasai herders. Here is a recent article about the poisoning of some elephants: http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Tanzania+battles+elephant+poaching/-/2558/1395686/-/chq1yxz/-/

Here are some elephants that we saw in Tarangire:

Smallest Antelope

The Dik Dik is one of the smallest antelope in Africa. They live in the underbrush, hanging out near tall bushes. In the video you can see one scent marking at the with scat. Also, and the end of the video the other is scent marking using a gland at the corner of its eye on a blade of grass. Dik Diks are usually monogamous.

Gazelles and Puumba

A short clip of Thompson's gazelles and a family of warthogs.

Maasai Giraffe

An adult male Maasai Giraffe in Tarangire National Park. He actually has a moderate case of giraffe skin disease (not on video), and a broken horn.

Cheetah!

A cheetah stalking gazelle in Tarangire National Park!

We spent 2 weeks driving the Northern Safari Circuit in Tanzania with our friends, Derek and Monica, and their partner Robert. They are studying the Maasai Giraffe population - surprisingly, little is known about how many giraffes there are, and where they go. We helped them identify giraffes with signs of skin disease. GSD (Giraffe Skin Disease) is becoming more prevalent, and again little is known about it. Infected individuals may show black, necrotic lesions on the back of the leg(s).

Check out their website to learn more about Giraffes, other migrating ungulates and what they are doing. Also, if you are interested in going on a research safari (and directly funding scientific research) they offer tours: www.wildnatureinstitute.org

Getting into Gear - work!

 Here are a few shots of getting some work done out on the islands. It isn't just fun and games out there. We are saving seals!

Applying a bleach mark on Sharkbite, Kaena Point 2010 - a male brought to the main islands in 1993 to even out the sex ratio on Laysan.

Applying topical dewormer on a Laysan yearling 2011.

Getting into Gear - Seals!

TA68, our largest pup of 2009

TK86 and TK36 - 2 big pups of 2011

Ipomea entangled

TK68

TK26

Juvie in the rocks

TK36 and TK86 rolling around

TK36 and TK86 best buddies

TK68 sleeping

Getting into Gear - Ready for Laysan!

 I'm headed back to Laysan! 2012 will be my 4th season on the island, working on the Hawaiian Monk Seal Population Assessment Study. I'm ready for warm weather, blue water, baby seals, big seals, and seabirds galore. Aloha!

Shipwreck in 2010

Shipwreck close-up (it is gone now)

Me working on data in our office, 2011

...Paris, Luxembourg, Koln

 Paris! We met a Brice and Maelle (we stayed with them) and they were wonderful. We spent Valentine's Day there, how cliche, but it was beautiful! Then we spent a few days in Luxembourg relaxing, and we went to a small town, Vianden, with a castle. And finally to Koln, where Carneval was happening.

Arc de Triomphe

Eiffel Towe

Eiffel Tower from the Seine River boat cruise

Eiffel Tower night light show

Moulin Rouge

Cathedral Notre Dame

Grand Marnier Souffle at La Relegade

Casemate Ruins in Luxembourg

Vianden Castle

Bratwurst in Koln

Koln Dom

European Vacation

 Amsterdam was wonderful! Here are the clogs I purchased:

Brussels:

The Atomium

Grand Place

Center

Grand Place

St Michael and Gudule

Mannekin Pis and me eating a waffle

Me eating a real waffle

Brockel and Weimar

In Weimar, too late for lunch, as usual. So I have to steal a klosse from an Oma.

The pond in Brockel froze, and we got to go sledding!

And make snow angels

Oh yea, I still do wildlife work, too.

Last September I completed a 3rd season with NOAA's Monk Seal Population Assessment Study in the NWHI, as a camp leader on Laysan Island. (Check out older posts) On our way down the island chain, we stopped at a few hotspots that do not get surveyed often for seals and weaned pups.

Necker or Mokumanamana is a rocky island in between the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) and the NW Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). It is very small and composed of basalt rock ledges. It is still a relatively high island. There are no beaches for the monk seals, so they end up hauling out on the rocks, much different from the NWHI. Mokumanamana is known for its plentiful religious heiau and artifacts - meaning that it is a very sacred place to Native Hawaiians, and likely used for many ceremonies. A very interesting fact is that the island lies directly on the Tropic of Cancer and during summer solstice, the sun is at its peak for the longest over this island. A few field campers were lucky enough to go onto the island and do a survey and tag the weaned pups - my 2nd time to go, yay!

 Ray and Darren on the small boat, cruisin' around the island.

Rocky cliffs:

Nihoa Island is about 240km NW of Kauai, another jagged, rocky island where seals haul out. There is only 1 beach and that is of course the popular spot to find seals, especially the moms and pups. This year I got to go on the ledge to check out the few seals there:

Limpets, or in Hawaiian Opihi:

A really neat cave that the boat drivers usually take us in:

And, a blast from the past - the 2009 Laysan Monk Seal Team! Can't wait to see who the 2012 team will be!

Berlin and Bavaria!

In Berlin - really cool city. We stayed for a few days and packed it with museums and other sites like Checkpoint Charlie, The Wall, Memorials, etc. And a Doner a day!

New Judes Memorial - very interesting because it is a bunch of concrete blocks of differing heights, and on a wavy pathway. Great to play hide and seek in. No I didn't write that...


Pergamon Museum - super large Greek and Babylonian structures, really impressive:


Winged Victory (goddess Nike) in the Tiergarten:


Branden Burger Tor:


A berliner in Berlin (also eating currywurst). Ich bin ein Berliner -JKF


Next stop was Bavaria! We stayed in Ansbach, Rothenburg ob der Taub, Munich, and Luzern (Switzerland). And visited other cute villages and Austria.

Giant Breztel from Munich:


Doner in Berlin. They are cheap and delicious:


Anne Frank's grave in Bergen Belsen concentration camp (not in Bavaria, oops):


Rothenburg - the cutest Medieval village you will ever see if your life. Seriously. They still have a pretty intact wall around the whole center, and you can walk it and look through the archer windows. And, a year-round Xmas store that sells German ornaments, etc.


Neueschwanstein in Fussen - Sleeping Beauty's Castle is modelled after this one that Ludwig II built for himself, cuz his childhood castle wasn't enough:


Munich!


My Bday in Munich:


Salzburg, Austria - world's largest Mozart Kugeln (chocolate ball)


Salzburg - in front of the birthplace of Mozart:


Luzern, Switzerland - Lowendenkmal. One of the coolest sculptures I have ever seen. You can really see emotion in the lion.


Luzern - Chapel Bridge:


Fussen: