For the birds

[cruises42]

14 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

 

There are puffins there also

 

 

Great, I really hope I see one (I never have).

[scubacruiserx2]

17 hours ago, cruises42 said:

Great, I really hope I see one (I never have).

 

Here's hoping . When are you going ?

[cruises42]

5 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

Here's hoping . When are you going ?

Next June.  Going to Alaska next month, hoping to see Puffins there.

[scubacruiserx2]

12 hours ago, cruises42 said:

Next June.  Going to Alaska next month, hoping to see Puffins there.

 

We hope that you get to see them also . We did't see them in Alaska , but we weren't looking for them either . So where is the best place to see them in Alaska ?

[JohnGinPBG]

6 minutes ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

So where is the best place to see them in Alaska ?

 

We saw tufted puffins last year on a boat trip from Sitka.  I think they are the only variety  you will see in Alaska.

[scubacruiserx2]

44 minutes ago, JohnGinPBG said:

 

We saw tufted puffins last year on a boat trip from Sitka.  I think they are the only variety  you will see in Alaska.

 

 

Thanks John , is PBG  Palm Beach Gardens ? We missed Sitka because of 20' waves and high wind when we were in Alaska .

 

[JohnGinPBG]

9 minutes ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

Thanks John , is PBG  Palm Beach Gardens ? We missed Sitka because of 20' waves and high wind when we were in Alaska .

 

Yes, it is.

 

Where did you see the puffins in Iceland? We're going there next year.

[scubacruiserx2]

Just now, JohnGinPBG said:

 

Yes, it is.

 

Where did you see the puffins in Iceland? We're going there next year.

 

We're out West at the end of Northlake .

 

We saw them in Seydisfjordur  ,  Reykjaivk and Lerwick , Shetland Islands . We are writing about our 24 day cruise here :

 

 

 

 

[masterdrago]

When we did our May 16 trip and cruise to SE Alaska, we saw only a few birds.

 

We spotted a Willow Ptarmigan strutting across the road while we were on the Transit Bus to Toklat River.

 

 

When we were on our Prince William Sound Cruise with Lazy Otter Charters, we were never very close to the Tufted Puffin.

 

 

It was their nesting time but they had not shown up yet in the holes along the rock/grass line in the image that shows hundreds of nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes.

 

 

From a great distance I spotted what appears to be a Pacific Loon.

 

 

And of course Eagles. Lots of Eagles. Every whale watch we went on, there was one glued to either a pier or buoy as we boarded the boat. They were seen in huge gatherings in Icy Strait/Hoonah feeding on scraps from a fish processing facility. Also by the dozens feeding in the shallow mud flats at the upper end of Turnagin Arm. Flying everywhere like the Cardinals in our backyard in Texas. 

 

 

Not sure why but I expected to see more birds while visiting Alaska. Our small place 55 miles north of Houston has ~50 species that visit our backyard. I'll start posting a few here. Thanks to scubacruiserx2 for starting this thread last year.

 

 

 

[JohnGinPBG]

7 minutes ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

We're out West at the end of Northlake .

 

How do you feel about all the new developments?

 

Thanks for the Iceland intel!

[scubacruiserx2]

2 minutes ago, JohnGinPBG said:

 

How do you feel about all the new developments?

 

Thanks for the Iceland intel!

 

You're welcome . We bought some acreage in 1980 when we lived in Ft. Lauderdale to move away from all the congestion and traffic there . We don't care for it now any more then we did then .

[JohnGinPBG]

18 minutes ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

You're welcome . We bought some acreage in 1980 when we lived in Ft. Lauderdale to move away from all the congestion and traffic there . We don't care for it now any more then we did then .

 

Small world. I lived in Lauderdale in 1980 as well. Then 8 years in CT before coming here in 1991. Broward is an absolute zoo now.

 

Just started your Zuiderdam blog. Great stuff!  Funny, we're flying BA on the 747 upper deck from London to MIA at the end of our next cruise in October.

[scubacruiserx2]

9 minutes ago, JohnGinPBG said:

 

Small world. I lived in Lauderdale in 1980 as well. Then 8 years in CT before coming here in 1991. Broward is an absolute zoo now.

 

Just started your Zuiderdam blog. Great stuff!  Funny, we're flying BA on the 747 upper deck from London to MIA at the end of our next cruise in October.

 

My room mate when I met my wife in 1976 was from Bridgeport . If you have any questions , fire away  preferably on the HAL thread . Our oldest kids were born in Ft. Lauderdale and we wanted a slower pace so we moved here and built our on house . They and all the grandsons are in PB County and we usually only go to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale to fly or cruise . We liked the BA flight but prefer Virgin Atlantic .

[scubacruiserx2]

2 hours ago, masterdrago said:

When we did our May 16 trip and cruise to SE Alaska, we saw only a few birds.

 

We spotted a Willow Ptarmigan strutting across the road while we were on the Transit Bus to Toklat River.

 

 

When we were on our Prince William Sound Cruise with Lazy Otter Charters, we were never very close to the Tufted Puffin.

 

 

It was their nesting time but they had not shown up yet in the holes along the rock/grass line in the image that shows hundreds of nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes.

 

 

From a great distance I spotted what appears to be a Pacific Loon.

 

 

And of course Eagles. Lots of Eagles. Every whale watch we went on, there was one glued to either a pier or buoy as we boarded the boat. They were seen in huge gatherings in Icy Strait/Hoonah feeding on scraps from a fish processing facility. Also by the dozens feeding in the shallow mud flats at the upper end of Turnagin Arm. Flying everywhere like the Cardinals in our backyard in Texas. 

 

 

Not sure why but I expected to see more birds while visiting Alaska. Our small place 55 miles north of Houston has ~50 species that visit our backyard. I'll start posting a few here. Thanks to scubacruiserx2 for starting this thread last year.

 

 

 

 

Thank you for sharing your fantastic bird photos , especially the Tufted Puffin . When we went on the Puffin boat they had photos of the Tufted Puffins , chicks and puffins without their mating masks on . 

 

 

 

My mom's family all lived near or in Houston and we used to go there on vacations . I remember seeing the Colt .45's play and the Astrodome when it first opened . Whew , Air Conditioned !

 

 

[masterdrago]

3 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

 

 

My mom's family all lived near or in Houston and we used to go there on vacations . I remember seeing the Colt .45's play and the Astrodome when it first opened . Whew , Air Conditioned !

 

 

That's pretty interesting. As a child, I recall my Dad taking me to one of their games in Colt Stadium just as they were getting ready to break ground for the new Domed Stadium. It's still there east of Reliant Stadium but they only use it has gotten the last dozen years or so was as the "Hideout" during the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. I've seen both the Astros and Oilers play there and it always seemed so huge. When it's used for the "Hideout", walking down to the center of the main floor, it appears rather small. It's fate is not sealed since Houstonians seem to always fight to keep it alive when someone in the city suggest tearing it down. Crazy small world.

 

It was really humorous to see the Puffins make a takeoff after filling themselves on small fish. So clumsy.

[cruises42]

11 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

We hope that you get to see them also . We did't see them in Alaska , but we weren't looking for them either . So where is the best place to see them in Alaska ?

I think our excursions in Sitka and Kodiak have them listed.

[cruises42]

10 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

We're out West at the end of Northlake .

 

We saw them in Seydisfjordur  ,  Reykjaivk and Lerwick , Shetland Islands . We are writing about our 24 day cruise here :

 

 

 

 

We're also going to Iceland next year (same cruise that goes to Shetland Is.).

[scubacruiserx2]

13 hours ago, masterdrago said:

That's pretty interesting. As a child, I recall my Dad taking me to one of their games in Colt Stadium just as they were getting ready to break ground for the new Domed Stadium. It's still there east of Reliant Stadium but they only use it has gotten the last dozen years or so was as the "Hideout" during the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. I've seen both the Astros and Oilers play there and it always seemed so huge. When it's used for the "Hideout", walking down to the center of the main floor, it appears rather small. It's fate is not sealed since Houstonians seem to always fight to keep it alive when someone in the city suggest tearing it down. Crazy small world.

 

It was really humorous to see the Puffins make a takeoff after filling themselves on small fish. So clumsy.

 

The puffins flying ( and penguins walking ) has earned them the reputation as clowns of the sea

[scubacruiserx2]

10 hours ago, cruises42 said:

We're also going to Iceland next year (same cruise that goes to Shetland Is.).

 

I think our excursions in Sitka and Kodiak have them listed.

 

It sound like you're in for a plethora of puffins ! One thing that I wished I would have done was to shoot more video - they are fast !

 

 

 

 

 

[cruises42]

13 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

I think our excursions in Sitka and Kodiak have them listed.

 

It sound like you're in for a plethora of puffins ! One thing that I wished I would have done was to shoot more video - they are fast !

 

 

 

 

 

They are cute!

[scubacruiserx2]

A couple more

 

 

 

 

 

 

My wife shot this clip of a puffin trying to fly

 

 

 

A link to the puffin cam in the Shetlands

 

https://www.shetlandwebcams.com/cliff-cam-2/

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2019 by scubacruiserx2

[pierces]

Now I seriously regret not taking the Puffin tour in Iceland earlier this year...

 

Very nice photos!

 

 

Dave

[cruises42]

14 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

A couple more

 

 

 

 

 

 

My wife shot this clip of a puffin trying to fly

 

 

 

A link to the puffin cam in the Shetlands

 

https://www.shetlandwebcams.com/cliff-cam-2/

 

 

 

 

 

Gorgeous! 

[scubacruiserx2]

16 hours ago, pierces said:

Now I seriously regret not taking the Puffin tour in Iceland earlier this year...

 

Very nice photos!

 

 

Dave

 

Thank you Dave . That sounds like  the best reason for a return trip !

[scubacruiserx2]

9 hours ago, cruises42 said:

Gorgeous! 

 

They are fun and funny birds