This funky looking bird can be found in the north Pacific as well as along the coast of far east Russia, including Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands.
I had seen many of these crested auklets flying around, and some diving in the water in search of krill or other food, but hadn’t been able to really get up close to many of them until I made it to Yankicha Island in the Kurils.
There were many bird species here, but the crested auklets were in huge numbers here, thanks to it being a big nesting area. With thousands of them flying about, I spotted a few that were still hanging out on land as we toured the island by Zodiac.
This guy was nice enough to pose for the camera. If you’re a crested auklet, the size of your crest is a big deal, as in both male and female aucklets prefer mates with large crests!
Often called the “undertaker” bird, the Marabou Stork is one of the ugliest birds you’ll come across in Africa.
A Marabou Stork in a Tree in Nairobi, Kenya
Strangely, this was my first wildlife encounter when I landed in Kenya for a month long safari in eastern Africa. These birds were found in parks and trees around the capital, usually just standing there, as if waiting for something to die so they could swoop down.
Kind of intimidating at first, after a few days and seeing them fly and hop around on the ground, I started to like them a bit more. They’re no beauties but just like vultures, they play an important role in the cycle of life in Africa. For the most part they are harmless birds, attracted to leftovers at animal kills. But if you do run across a bunch of them in a city, be a little wary, as they have been known to get aggressive if they’ve become habituated and accustomed to feeding off of human garbage and scraps.
One of the great urban wilderness surprises of Toronto is located out on Lake Ontario. It’s a 5km stretch of land known as Tommy Thompson Park, or the “Spit”.
The park is only accessible on weekends and holidays. With a strict no dogs policy it has turned into a urban haven for wildlife and birdlife. You can easily spot herons, egrets, cormorants, geese, swans, ducks, falcons and other birds here. You can spot beaver huts and if lucky – maybe coyotes or other more elusive creatures. Definitely one of the best places in Toronto for wildlife viewing.
American Mink in Toronto
I was lucky to stumble across a hungry American Mink (Neovison vison), also called an Eastern Mink or Little Black Mink, as it is the smallest subspecies of mink. He was darting along the shoreline in search of food. He scampered across the rocks, stopped for a nice big yawn, then dove into the water. The mink is the largest member of the weasel family in this part of the world.
He swam out about 30m before diving down and disappearing for a couple of minutes. When he finally emerged, swimming back to shore, I saw he had caught some dinner. It was some strange looking blobby fish that had a white fin. As ugly as that meal looked, the mink sure liked it and hid behind some rocks to devour his tasty meal back on the beach.
Mink stopping for a yawn before diving into Lake Ontario for a meal
If you’ve ever wondered “what do minks eat?”, well apparently ugly fish is on their menu! Judging by the shell piles on the beach, this mink had a steady diet of mussels as well, which I had expected him to find on this swim.
It’s the first time I’ve come across a mink in Toronto, but hopefully not the last. Great to see such a cool creature only a short hike away from the Toronto skyline!
Mink swimming back to shore at Tommy Thompson Park with an ugly fish for a meal
Sri Lanka is a country blessed with a huge diversity of wildlife species, all packed into a relatively small country.
Some of the animals that lure people to Africa, such as elephants and leopards, are found in abundance in Sri Lanka, and it is known as one of the top birding places in the world.
I spent about a month travelling around Sri Lanka, enjoying some fantastic (spicy!) food, visiting impressive temples and hiking through forests, but what attracted me most to this country was its National Parks and wildlife watching opportunities.
Of all of the places I visited, here are the top 5 parks in Sri Lanka for watching wildlife:
A Millipede in the Sinharaja Rainforest
5 – Sinharaja Forest Reserve
It’s a rough road to get into parts of the Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve, where birders try to seek out numerous hard to spot and endemic species. The rough terrain and different climate mean there are plenty of streams and lush vegetation here. Reptiles and amphibians, deer and mongoose – a wide variety of animals to be spotted. Turtles, monkeys, and all sorts of night critters and interesting bugs are also found here.
Because of the ample rains and humidity here, many buildings have open beam roofs to allow for ventilation. For me, this meant that a little palm squirrel was running around my room one night, trying to get into all of my bags of wet clothes and camera equipment!
The World’s End at Horton Plains, a hike that often delivers great wildlife encounters
4 – Horton Plains National Park
Out here on the plains, you’ll likely see some different species than in other parks. The biggest attraction is great chances of spotting herds of the large sambar deer. Unlike the other major parks that are for vehicle safaris only, you’re able to walk and hike a great selection of trails here. This is a misty, cloud forest and grasslands climate, with waterfalls and rolling hills making for some great photography and wildlife possibilities. A visit to what is called the “World’s End”, a very wide and impressive canyon, is well worth the trek.
A Spotted Deer at Uda Walawe National Park
3- Uda Walawe National Park
Created for wildlife after the construction of a nearby reservoir, the highlight here for some day-trip visitors is watching orphaned elephants get fed at the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home, where you can see baby elephants sucking back gallons of milk. But the park itself provides a much more natural wildlife experience. More than 250 wild elephants are found here, and crocodiles, peacocks, monkeys, lizards, wild boar and various small wild cats call the park home as well. Since many “tourists” only stop for the show that is the elephant orphanage, you’ll be pleasantly surprised about how peaceful your safari experience can be in the park.
An Impressive Asian Elephant in Bundala National Park
2 – Bundala National Park
Expect some animal overload when visiting Bundala, especially if you visit during early morning hours when troops of monkeys are bounding about, elephants are out for a stroll and birds and crocodiles can be found lounging around the lakes and waterways. One of Sri Lanka’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, Bundala is regarded as an important birding area with everything from storks to flamingoes stopping in here during migration routes.
Spend enough time here and creatures such as pangolins, porcupines and jackals may be spotted. Elephants, monkeys, water birds, crocodiles, snakes and tortoises and turtles are more common.
Two Sloth Bears spotted in Yala (Ruhunu) National Park
1 – Yala National Park
This part of Ruhunu National Park is renowned for it’s wildlife spotting, and it did not disappoint on the numerous safaris I took during morning and evening game viewing drives. A stunning amount of elephants, close encounters with sloth bears (including babies) and leopard spotting were the biggest highlights. But plenty of monkey species, land monitors, peacocks, wild boar and other creatures kept the camera clicking away almost non-stop. A real treasure of a park that packs in enough variety and “big game” wildlife to match the best parks in any other country.
Wild boar, common land monitors, and two cobra spottings were some of the other highlights of my trips into this park, which definitely warrants multiple visits if you have the time. The only downside to Yala, is that its reputation results in a sometimes congested wildlife viewing experience, where a line of Jeeps will all crowd together to give tourists a view of a special animal. It happens all over Africa as well, and is a situation that is hard to avoid.
There are many other great places for wildlife viewing in Sri Lanka, but these were my highlights! If you had a great wildlife encounter at a park in Sri Lanka, let me know…I hope to return one day and visit the country further.
Visiting the Galapagos Islands was a dream destination for me, and I’m lucky to have visited more than once.
When it comes to wildlife, this is paradise. Not only are there a wide range of animals to be seen, they’re virtually all friendly and not camera shy. This makes for great photos and fun experiences, as sometimes you’re trying to get “away” from the wildlife instead of getting “closer”.
This curious Galapagos sea lion pup was walking around in the sand on North Seymour Island, chasing the few of us who were there to get some photos. He was probably the cutest little guy we saw there, but there were hundreds of sea lions everywhere, it was quite fascinating to see!
Some of them were even sleeping across pathways that we were supposed to walk on, so we’d have to gingerly walk around them, not to disturb their sleep. Of course the little baby Galapagos sea lions like this guy were more active either chasing other sea lions, or looking for some milk from their sea lion mothers.
The only downside of these funny and cute sea lions? They stink! Especially when there is a large group of them hanging out on the beach.
