Search found 128 matches

by tai haku
April 18th, 2013, 2:16 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: USVI (now with pictures)
Replies: 6
Views: 2272

Re: USVI

I plan to be in the USVI for a little while early next month. Can anybody tell me what I should expect to see or go look for? I don't know how mobile I am going to be, so what could I expect to find around a resort complex? Thanks in advance. This may help: http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/viewt...
by tai haku
April 4th, 2013, 11:25 am
Forum: Bird Forum
Topic: New Zealand - January 1st Pelagic Trip
Replies: 12
Views: 9221

Re: New Zealand - January 1st Pelagic Trip

Does that mean you've seen the other 468 species of sharks? :shock: I wish! At this point (your two excepted), I've got all the ones I want to see enough to do specific trips for - I'm on about 32 species, could probably get a fair few more off a couple more trips but there's so many non-sharks to ...
by tai haku
April 1st, 2013, 10:59 am
Forum: Bird Forum
Topic: New Zealand - January 1st Pelagic Trip
Replies: 12
Views: 9221

Re: New Zealand - January 1st Pelagic Trip

I can't believe you posted the only two sharks I have left to tick off my shark bucket list from a single pelagic! Not cool man, not cool (I mean obviously it's very cool but it stings a bit :lol: )!
by tai haku
March 24th, 2013, 9:51 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Med Chameleons.
Replies: 0
Views: 897

Med Chameleons.

I've just put a thread up in the mammal forum with a trip report on my quest for iberian lynx in spain: http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=15638&p=186566#p186566 Since not all of you go to that forum I thought I'd throw up a teaser with the herping highlight of the trip...
by tai haku
March 24th, 2013, 9:47 am
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: Iberian Lynx and other beasties trip report
Replies: 18
Views: 11568

Re: Iberian Lynx and other beasties trip report

And that is why I want my next European trip to be Spain. I just couldn't squeeze it in last year when I went to Germany. Epic! Love the interest in all things from herps to mammals to birds to bugs to plants. And so many Lynx. I would probably die of excitement. thanks for the comment about the wi...
by tai haku
March 24th, 2013, 8:01 am
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: Iberian Lynx and other beasties trip report
Replies: 18
Views: 11568

Re: Iberian Lynx and other beasties trip report

Day 7 The final day was essentially all drive to the airport. Having dropped off Elizabeth for her flight, we went for a quick circuit of Rio Guadalhorce again. After two visits and nothing but females, I was delighted to connect with a load of drake white-headed ducks displaying their naming chara...
by tai haku
March 24th, 2013, 7:55 am
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: Iberian Lynx and other beasties trip report
Replies: 18
Views: 11568

Re: Iberian Lynx and other beasties trip report

Day 6 Our last full day of lynx-watching featured slightly better weather. We’d planned for a three stage day’ morning at La Lancha, then back to Los Pinos to allow us all a warming coffee, with those who wanted it staying in the warm for lunch, and those who didn’t heading out to the dam, followed...
by tai haku
March 24th, 2013, 7:27 am
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: Iberian Lynx and other beasties trip report
Replies: 18
Views: 11568

Re: Iberian Lynx and other beasties trip report

Day 5 Our second day of lynx-searching started far more slowly, the weather was again poor - dry this time but heavily overcast and with biting wind. A lovely herd of fallow deer on the drive in was a nice start though. http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8353/8410622452_e0251cc0ca.jpg http://farm9.stati...
by tai haku
March 24th, 2013, 6:15 am
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: Iberian Lynx and other beasties trip report
Replies: 18
Views: 11568

Re: Iberian Lynx and other beasties trip report

Day 4 Our first day of lynx watching proper. I had a feeling there would be plenty of stuff to be seen on the way in for some reason and was delighted to be proven correct only fifteen minutes into the drive in. A brown shape moved across the pasture to our left and I immediately blurted out "...
by tai haku
March 24th, 2013, 5:59 am
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: Iberian Lynx and other beasties trip report
Replies: 18
Views: 11568

Re: Iberian Lynx and other beasties trip report

Day 3 – 21/01/13 After a lie-in, caffeination and simple breakfast we headed out around 11 to collect another member of the party, Elizabeth from the airport. With the final two members delayed we headed back to Guadehorsa for another quick session and were again rewarded with birds of prey, this t...
by tai haku
March 24th, 2013, 5:56 am
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: Iberian Lynx and other beasties trip report
Replies: 18
Views: 11568

Iberian Lynx and other beasties trip report

The Iberian Lynx is the rarest cat species in the world with only 300ish individuals out there. Notwithstanding this and its secretive nature, european mammal watchers have had decent success searching in the Sierra Andujar for them. I joined a trip in January to chance my hand. Day 1 – 19/01/13 My ...
by tai haku
February 28th, 2013, 3:49 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Check out this guys yard!
Replies: 6
Views: 2005

Re: Check out this guys yard!

Back in the day I always felt the same about this lady's estate:
http://fireflyforest.net/firefly/category/arizona/
I think it was all the different owls and raptors and the tale of the Gila swimming around in her pool that got me.
by tai haku
December 15th, 2012, 2:32 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Sea Turtle tracks identification
Replies: 6
Views: 2366

Re: Sea Turtle tracks identification

based solely on the size I'd be leaning towards Hawksbill
by tai haku
December 5th, 2012, 1:08 pm
Forum: Bird Forum
Topic: Let's see those Owls!!
Replies: 66
Views: 28200

Re: Let's see those Owls!!

mamma long-eared http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4044/4628480187_53772579d2.jpg baby long-eared http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4034/4628480191_43b1a64fff.jpg Tropical screech owl http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3656/3474724313_909351507a.jpg Great-horned (with iguana) http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3562/3...
by tai haku
December 5th, 2012, 12:57 pm
Forum: Fish Forum
Topic: Big fish from Canada
Replies: 6
Views: 4726

Re: Big fish from Canada

It is a white sturgeon.
by tai haku
December 2nd, 2012, 10:43 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Animal Planet wants your opinion on Rattlesnake Republic
Replies: 35
Views: 7758

Re: Animal Planet wants your opinion on Rattlesnake Republic

the 210 comments at time of posting seem to be entirely in protest of the show. Hope they are getting two messages:
1. this type of show is unacceptable; and
2. lots of people care about snakes ergo a good show about snakes would have a market.
by tai haku
December 1st, 2012, 10:35 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Animal Planet wants your opinion on Rattlesnake Republic
Replies: 35
Views: 7758

Re: Animal Planet wants your opinion on Rattlesnake Republic

they have now received my thoughts. thanks for posting the link.
by tai haku
November 30th, 2012, 12:44 pm
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: Grey Seal pupping ground visit
Replies: 3
Views: 2923

Re: Grey Seal pupping ground visit

oops. forgot to add these. 5 years and 9 days ago was my last visit. Things were.......ickier. http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2280/2067338674_124f878f74.jpg http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2059/2067338340_d4c35cd32e.jpg http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2008/2065439452_5142ac16c6.jpg http://farm3.staticfli...
by tai haku
November 30th, 2012, 11:55 am
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: Grey Seal pupping ground visit
Replies: 3
Views: 2923

Grey Seal pupping ground visit

I've been visiting the parents this week and today we visited a classic local nature attraction - a grey seal pupping beach. This "beach" sees probably thousands of visitors a year to look at the cute baby grey seals on the mudflats. The bull grey seal (Halichoerus grypus, meaning "ho...
by tai haku
November 19th, 2012, 1:17 pm
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: Leucistic Opossum
Replies: 19
Views: 37328

Re: Leucistic Opossum

It also looks pretty docile, don't those things bite? That said, they have MANY sharp teeth and can bite. Aside from how many die on the roads, it is amazing they survived predators long enough to colonize much of the US. To quote a distinguished naturalist on the topic.... I call the big one "...
by tai haku
November 19th, 2012, 1:47 am
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: British Columbia, October - Mammal and fish quest
Replies: 9
Views: 5397

Re: British Columbia, October - Mammal and fish quest

Wow! That was great...surely the most productive sturgeon fishing I have heard of, I am used to just a bite or few in a long day, and multiple cathches uncommon. Did you keep or eat any of those sturgeon? They amongst the finest fish I have ever had. Do I understand correctly you catch these sturge...
by tai haku
November 17th, 2012, 2:05 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: ID help: Olive ridley or Green sea turtle?
Replies: 3
Views: 1614

Re: ID help: Olive ridley or Green sea turtle?

DracoRJC wrote:Ridley :)
seconded.
by tai haku
November 17th, 2012, 11:18 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Yay: I rediscovered a snake thought lost for over a century
Replies: 32
Views: 8526

Re: Yay: I rediscovered a snake thought lost for over a cent

Soopaman wrote:It's just such a Hoser thing to do...
True that!

Nice work Hans. For your next mission........Orang pendek please.
by tai haku
November 17th, 2012, 8:47 am
Forum: Fish Forum
Topic: Big fish from Canada
Replies: 6
Views: 4726

Big fish from Canada

In case any of the fishermen don't visit the mammal subforum I thought I'd flag the fact that part 2 of my Canada trip report in there is slightly more focussed on these http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8331/8104085906_c0fa12d75b.jpg than the bears and whales of part 1..... :lol: It's here: http://www....
by tai haku
November 17th, 2012, 8:44 am
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: British Columbia, October - Mammal and fish quest
Replies: 9
Views: 5397

Re: British Columbia, October - Mammal and fish quest

So when we left this report I'd just abandoned the beautiful shores of Vancouver Island.... http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8464/8132261217_bb8c9e2803.jpg .....and headed back to the mainland and Vancouver proper. On Day 7 I met up with the rest of my group and headed out to Chilliwack where we got se...
by tai haku
November 12th, 2012, 9:12 am
Forum: Bird Forum
Topic: Alphabirding
Replies: 308
Views: 123820

Re: Alphabirding

Z is for Zenaida Dove! :D
Image
zenaida dove by WLA, on Flickr
by tai haku
November 9th, 2012, 12:02 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Puerto Rico is the 51st state (maybe ?)
Replies: 7
Views: 2500

Re: Puerto Rico is the 51st state

You learn to love that Coqui call pretty quick :D I kinda miss hearing it as I go to sleep now. And if you think herpers would get weird about this new desire to add PR herps to their US lists, you can't imagine what the birders would do! Forget PR the American Birding Association are still arguing ...
by tai haku
November 8th, 2012, 2:03 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: HELP NEEDED: Herping in the Miami, FL area
Replies: 5
Views: 3177

Re: HELP NEEDED: Herping in the Miami, FL area

I've done florida twice as a visiting herper - both times I ended up cruising ENP in the evenings. To add to what others have said, it's dead easy, there are plenty of species to see and you'll know you're in the right spot cos you'll randomly bump into other herpers (and other FHFers) as you drive ...
by tai haku
November 1st, 2012, 2:51 pm
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: Monkeys
Replies: 27
Views: 9552

Re: Monkeys

mrichardson wrote:Tai - The Olive Baboon photographed in Kruger is in fact a Chacma Baboon (but I'm guessing you already knew that and just made a typo!).
oops! good spot.
by tai haku
November 1st, 2012, 5:40 am
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: Monkeys
Replies: 27
Views: 9552

Re: Monkeys

Common Langur in India are cool for 3 reasons (at least): first up they form mixed herds with the Chital deer combining the benefits of their various senses and using sentries to ward off tigers and leopards http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7258/6933539460_40f83b8e18.jpg http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5...
by tai haku
October 28th, 2012, 1:30 pm
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: British Columbia, October - Mammal and fish quest
Replies: 9
Views: 5397

Re: British Columbia, October - Mammal and fish quest

Day 4 Was a trip to the Orford River with the Homalco First Nation on Bute Inlet. I went with these guys http://www.adventurewhalewatching.com/ who were excellent. With a long boat ride ahead of us I was optimistic that we'd maybe connect with more Orca but when the shout of whale went up I got a su...
by tai haku
October 28th, 2012, 11:13 am
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: British Columbia, October - Mammal and fish quest
Replies: 9
Views: 5397

British Columbia, October - Mammal and fish quest

Just back from British Columbia and a bit of a mammal/fish quest (with a couple of herps thrown in). I'll throw this up as a day by day trip report. Day 1. Landed in Vancouver to driving rain (the first in weeks) at around 11am. Delays at the airport meant I got a ferry at midafternoon over to Vanco...
by tai haku
August 8th, 2012, 3:23 am
Forum: Fish Forum
Topic: An enormous Sturgeon caught!
Replies: 5
Views: 3691

Re: An enormous Sturgeon caught!

headed there in October - wish me luck!! tai, bring the big sticks. Tim I'm not sure I have a big enough stick :oops: :lol: Seriously though my first few days look like getting spent on trips out of Vancouver Island, whale watching, bears, etc. I've got 5 days booked for sturgeon and will probably ...
by tai haku
August 1st, 2012, 7:21 am
Forum: Fish Forum
Topic: An enormous Sturgeon caught!
Replies: 5
Views: 3691

Re: An enormous Sturgeon caught!

headed there in October - wish me luck!!
by tai haku
July 12th, 2012, 2:19 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Germany - few herps, long read....
Replies: 16
Views: 6015

Re: Germany - few herps, long read....

I'm reasonably comfortable saying the fish under the coot are rudd; the dorsal fin looks to be too far back for roach.
by tai haku
July 12th, 2012, 2:10 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: "Extinct" snake rediscovered
Replies: 10
Views: 2912

Re: "Extinct" snake rediscovered

Yuup. For more accurate "horses-mouth" reporting Durrell has a blog which has featured the SL Racer http://blog.durrell.org/index.cfm/2012/7/2/The-ones-21-that-got-away Worth a look generally as it's also covered off mountain chickens and some other interesting herps (and non-herps for tha...
by tai haku
June 7th, 2012, 8:55 am
Forum: Invertebrate Forum
Topic: Inverts- Virgin Islands National Park
Replies: 15
Views: 5007

Re: Inverts- Virgin Islands National Park

The weevil with the cool stripes is Diaprepes abbreviatus aka sugar cane root borer weevil or orange root weevil Image
depressingly common if you're trying to grow stuff in the VI
by tai haku
June 6th, 2012, 5:18 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: A year in Australia - some of the highlights.
Replies: 19
Views: 6139

Re: A year in Australia - some of the highlights.

Not a herp, but amazing to see - Short-beaked echinda, Tachyglossus aculeatus http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6724489717_ec548ae7e7_z.jpg Well it lays eggs and has a venom gland so I reckon that makes it close enough to most of the cool stuff on here to allow us to give it honorary herp status! ...
by tai haku
June 6th, 2012, 5:13 am
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: What mammals have you eaten? (ONE MAMMAL PER DAY)
Replies: 90
Views: 97251

Re: What mammals have you eaten? (ONE MAMMAL PER DAY)

Curtis Hart wrote:Greater Kudu as steak and biltong.

Curtis
Hi5s on this choice Curtis, Kudu is delicious (kuduwoers is also awesome). I don't think I've seen Capybara listed. Nice enough when stewed, a little stringy.
by tai haku
June 5th, 2012, 1:43 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Yet another Galapagos post
Replies: 19
Views: 4306

Re: Yet another Galapagos post

Tai, only saw one Galapagos horn shark, at the northwest end of Isabella. Most common sharks were the scalloped hammerheads (several hundred) followed by galapagos sharks (dozens), silkies (maybe a dozen), 2 whale sharks, 1 blacktip shark, 1 horn shark. Thanks for that, the slightly sad/geeky thing...
by tai haku
June 5th, 2012, 1:38 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Bubble Boa and a month in the Carolinas (DUB)
Replies: 27
Views: 11066

Re: Bubble Boa and a month in the Carolinas (DUB)

loving the coachwhip but I really loved the way you casually dropped in the faceshot on that black bear amidst all the close-ups. It made me jump a little. :lol:
by tai haku
June 4th, 2012, 12:22 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Yet another Galapagos post
Replies: 19
Views: 4306

Re: Yet another Galapagos post

Nice red-lipped batfish. Looks like an awesome experience. How many of the Galapagos horn sharks did you see?
by tai haku
June 1st, 2012, 4:58 am
Forum: Fish Forum
Topic: Shenandoah Brook Trout
Replies: 18
Views: 9949

Re: Shenandoah Brook Trout

I love lure fishing. I really do. and it's not like I have enough time or opportunity to do that but awesome posts like these are making me want to a) learn to flycast; and b) travel the world as an itinerant fisherman. You guys are seriously not helping my life choices. :lol: That first flank shot ...
by tai haku
May 21st, 2012, 3:38 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: 24 New Caribbean Lizards Found
Replies: 3
Views: 1484

Re: 24 New Caribbean Lizards Found

I found the skink on Carrot Rock back in the mid-nineties. I also believe the Anolis cristatellus is an endemic as well. My favorite memory is being nearly blinded by a red-billed tropic bird incutating her eggs among the boulders while I ascended to the top. Nice - I can only ever recall seeing RB...
by tai haku
May 8th, 2012, 7:52 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: 24 New Caribbean Lizards Found
Replies: 3
Views: 1484

Re: 24 New Caribbean Lizards Found

I made a coouple of attempts to get on carrot rock for the skink (I think there is also a carrot rock sphaero gecko) when I lived in BVI. By the time I decided to give it a go (trying to round out the BVI herps) I was into my last couple of months and every attempt was scuppered by the weather (tis ...
by tai haku
May 8th, 2012, 2:52 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Exuma Islands
Replies: 7
Views: 2780

Re: Exuma Islands

always awesome to see Alsophis. That pink leaf cay Cyclura is really pretty - almost a polar opposite to some of the big dominant male C. pinguis I've seen with a baby blue crest.
by tai haku
April 24th, 2012, 9:37 am
Forum: Fish Forum
Topic: 20 foot Great white in the Sea of Cortez?!
Replies: 5
Views: 4274

Re: 20 foot Great white in the Sea of Cortez?!

Tom - that was at Guadelupe Island, Mexico. There are a couple of boats that do cagediving trips out there (it's like a 3 day trip). We were the last trip of the season; apparently the big females turn up late in the season so we had big sharks. There are two cages (8 foot wide) with a little gap in...
by tai haku
April 20th, 2012, 5:32 am
Forum: Fish Forum
Topic: 20 foot Great white in the Sea of Cortez?!
Replies: 5
Views: 4274

Re: 20 foot Great white in the Sea of Cortez?!

There are some absolutely gargantuan whites late in the year around Guadelupe - we saw a number in the 16-18 foot range on our 3 days there - so since the cortez sharks are part of the same population I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were some record breaking sharks around. http://farm4.stati...
by tai haku
March 30th, 2012, 12:46 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Future Mega Millions losers :D
Replies: 32
Views: 4738

Re: Future Mega Millions losers :D

I see a nice lush private caribbean island replete with Cyclura and Epicrates with a nice herd of big giant tortoises ambling around it......and a nice big chunk of northern queensland.......and a James Bond villain-esque highly customised walking cane that converts into a practical snake hook at th...
by tai haku
March 1st, 2012, 1:54 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: The "Post your RAREST of the rare finds," post...
Replies: 64
Views: 17553

Re: The "Post your RAREST of the rare finds," post...

Virgin Island tree boa. Endangered and extremely rare. Seen in St Thomas on a vacation. http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2214/2477307488_e38e7d1acd_z.jpg VI Boa is nice but getting one on St. Thomas whilst on vacation? I'm seriously impressed by that. Here's one from 'tola where they're a little bit m...