Category: Travel

Travels around the world

Four-Years Ago (14-January-2016) — Pacific Ocean

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 10: Crossing the Pacific Ocean.

During the voyage we had several discussions regarding the identity of the Boobies that followed the MV World Odyssey across the Pacific Ocean. We were in general agreement that the birds following the ship before Hawaii were Brown Boobies. Then after Hawaii, we had both Brown Boobies and Masked Boobies. The Brown Boobies had three color patterns — all brown; brown top with tan/mottled brown bottom; or brown top with white bottom. I now understand these are the different juvenile through adult forms of the Brown Booby. The Masked Boobies were mostly white with black on the ends of the upper wings. It was bright and sunny on this day. We had twenty plus of the Bobbies using the thermals from the ship to soar and then dive for flying fish. I actually captured a sequence of images where a Brown Booby caught a flying fish.


Brown Booby with dark brown top and bottom. The individual images in the slide show are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Brown Booby with brown top and and tan or mottled light brown bottom. The individual images in the slide show are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Brown Booby with brown top and and white bottom. The individual images in the slide show are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Masked Booby mostly white with black on the ends of the upper wings. The individual images in the slide show are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Brown Booby caught a Flying Fish The individual images in the slide show are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Four-Years Ago (13-January-2016) — Pacific Ocean

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 9: Crossing the Pacific Ocean.

At midday I noticed a Booby flying low to the water at a distance. It looked like a Booby. Later at dusk, four of the birds soared over the MV World Odyssey. We tentatively identified these as Masked Boobies rather than Brown Boobies.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Masked Booby searching for food. Viewed from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 160, 224 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Three Masked Booby flying above the MV World Odyssey at dusk. Image taken with a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 229 mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)

Four-Years Ago (12-January-2016) — Hawaii

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 8: Hawaii.  Oahu Field Trip .

Although not a “Birding Field Trip” I did capture the images of several birds. A Black Swan in the Boydo-In Temple grounds at Hawaiian Memorial Park. Several Red Junglefowl and Red Crested Cardinals at Mālaekahana State Recreation Area. A Hawaiian Coot swimming in a shrimp pond at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge. Several unknown birds at Sunset Beach Park and Haleiwa Beach Park. And finally, three House Sparrows outside the Dole Plantation tourist center.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Black Swan at the Boydo-In Temple, Hawaiian Memorial Park. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 800, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Male Red Junglefowl at Mālaekahana State Recreation Area . Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 800, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Female Red Junglefowl and three chicks at Mālaekahana State Recreation Area . Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 400, 2640 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Male Red Junglefowl at Mālaekahana State Recreation Area . Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 200, 224 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Two Red Crested Cardinals at Mālaekahana State Recreation Area . Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Red Crested Cardinal at Mālaekahana State Recreation Area . Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Hawaiian Coot swimming in a shrimp pond at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge in Kahuku, Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Hawaiian Coot swimming in a shrimp pond at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge in Kahuku, Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Hawaiian Coot swimming in a shrimp pond at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge in Kahuku, Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Unknown Bird at Sunset Beach Park in Ohau, Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Unknown Bird at Sunset Beach Park in Ohau, Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 200, 157 mm, f/5.3, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Unknown Bird at Haleiwa Beach Park in Ohau, Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Three House Finches in a tree at the Dole Plantation in Ohau, Hawaii. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 160, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre)

Four-Years Ago (11-January-2016) — Pacific Ocean

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 7: Crossing the Pacific Ocean.

Several Brown Boobies spent the day following the MV World Odyssey soaring and fishing.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Brown Booby in flight from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 160, 195 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Brown Booby in flight from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 160, 195 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Brown Booby in flight from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 160, 195 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Brown Booby in flight from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 160, 195 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Brown Booby in flight from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 160, 195 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Brown Booby in flight from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 160, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Brown Booby in flight from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 160, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)

Four-Years Ago (10-January-2020) — Pacific Ocean

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 6: Crossing the Pacific Ocean.

Two or three Brown Boobies spent the day following the MV World Odyssey soaring and fishing. In the evening, at least two of the birds landed on the ship to spend the night.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Brown Booby in flight from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 180, 208 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Brown Booby hunting for fish. Viewed from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 320, 264 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Brown Booby hunting for fish. Viewed from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 320, 264 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Brown Booby rolling over for a dive. Viewed from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 320, 264 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Brown Booby rolling over for a dive. Viewed from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 320, 264 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Brown Booby in the water. Viewed from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 250, 264 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Brown Booby in the water. Viewed from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 220, 264 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Brown Booby in the water taking off. Viewed from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 220, 264 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Brown Booby in flight. Viewed from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 500, 208 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)