Flip, the Stranded Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Returns to Texas
November 11, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
A juvenile female Kemp’s ridley sea turtle named Flip by her rescuers will soon be returning home to the Texas coast. Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are the smallest and rarest sea turtle species and one of the most critically endangered species. Flip was found injured and cold, stranded on the shores of Monster (near The [...]
Birding Hotspot: Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, NM
September 1, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 2 Comments
UFO sightings may have put Roswell, New Mexico, on the map, but at nearby Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, strange creatures are more than visitors. They inhabit odd sinkholes, playa lakes, seeps, and gypsum springs fed by an underground river. Straddling the Pecos River the Refuge consists of an assortment of water habitats. Numerous seeps and [...]
Bear Attack Reported at Arizona Campground
June 1, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 2 Comments
An Arizona woman was injured this morning (May 1) when a bear ripped a hole in the tent where she, her husband, and their dog had been sleeping at Ponderosa Campground in Tonto National Forest, just off Highway 260 about 10 miles east of Payson. The attack occurred around 4:30 a.m. After tearing open the [...]
Land of the Standing-up Rocks: Chiricahua National Monument
May 14, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
Filled with extraordinary rock formations, the Chiricahua National Monument in southeastern Arizona is a wonder to behold. The word “Chiricahua” may be derived from the Opata Indian word for turkey—wild turkeys are common in the area. Chiricahua Mountains is designated by the American Bird Conservancy as a Globally Important Bird Area. With 12,000 acres of [...]
Teach your kids about birds
April 28, 2012 by Canadianladybug · Leave a Comment
Ornithology can go hands-to-hands with camping. And to learn more about birds, you need to learn to be patient as well as to be quiet when exploring the woods, grasslands or other places where birds can be found. You also need some equipment to be successful in finding birds. So where can you start if [...]
Rio South Texas: Nature’s Wonders
February 29, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 2 Comments
The Rio Grande Valley nature scene is filled with many wildlife hot spots. We’ll continue our tour of the top nature hot spots in the Rio Grande Valley with a visit to the World Birding Center. The World Birding Center (WBC) The World Birding Center (WBC) is a network of nine unique birding sites in [...]
Magic along the Rio Grande
February 19, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
Few can dispute the importance of nature tourism in Texas, especially within the Rio Grande Valley. According to a study conducted by Mathis and Matisoff (2004), Texas is the number one birdwatching state/province in North America, and The Valley is considered the number two birding destination in North America. Nestled between the Gulf of Mexico [...]
Birding Hotspot: Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
October 28, 2011 by Rex Vogel · 2 Comments
As the sun reddens the sky, thousands of snow geese scattered on a big pond begin to waken and disrupt the quiet air with loud honks. Visitors perched on embankments, observation decks, or inside parked vehicles see and hear the communication that eventually gets the flock into the air and headed north to fields where [...]
Using Audubon apps in your expeditions
July 25, 2011 by Canadianladybug · Leave a Comment
Audubon Guides – A Field Guide to Birds, Mammals, Wildflowers, and Trees From Green Mountain Digital I am quite impressed with the Audubon apps so far. This particular app contains four apps in one – so you can save a bit of money when you purchase it. I am quite impressed with the quality of [...]
Bare Facts on Bears
July 9, 2011 by Rex Vogel · 8 Comments
Grizzly Bear Kills Hiker in Yellowstone National Park A couple’s hike off South Rim Drive, south of Canyon Village and east of the park’s Grand Loop Road, Wednesday (July 6) morning, turned tragic when they surprised a grizzly bear sow and her cubs. Brian Matayoshi, 57, of Torrance, California, was hiking with his wife, Marylyn, [...]
