Kaena Point is my favorite place on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. It is the refuge of many rare animals, such as the Laysan Albatross, the Hawaiian Noddy and the Hawaiian Monk Seal. I’ve […]
Author Archives: Gábor Ruff
Hawaiian Noddy at Kaena Point – Hawaii
I discovered a small Hawaiian Noddy (Anous minutus melanogenys) flock on a sea cliff while visiting Kaena Point (Oahu, Hawaii) last week. This bird is a kind of Tern and its Hawaiian name is noio. […]
Laysan Albatross chick in backlight in Hawaii
I went to Kaena Point again this week to check the fledgling Laysan Albatross chicks (Phoebastria immutabilis). As I expected, most of them (including „my” bird) have already left the island. Once the albatrosses leave […]
Five months old Laysan Albatross in Hawaii
A few days ago, I visited again my favorite “baby” Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) at Kaena Point on Oahu, Hawaii. This juvenile bird is about five months old now, which means it’s almost a fully […]
Climate change leads to changes in the migration patterns of birds
Over the last decades, the global climate has been changing faster than ever before. Not surprisingly, the changes in climate may lead to changes in species. For instance, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) responses to […]
Hawaiian Monk Seal portrait
It’s always exciting to be in the wild and observe rare animals such as the Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi). I often check the monk seal’s favorite resting place when I go to Kaena Point […]
Four months old Laysan Albatross chick in Hawaii
My favorite bird species in Hawaii is the Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis). Last week I visited again their nesting colony at Kaena Point on Oahu (Hawaii). Interestingly, I didn’t see any adult birds on this […]
The White Stork as a seed-spreading bird in Europe
The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) builds one of the largest nests in the bird world. These huge nests are often used as nesting places by other birds or even small rodents. These kind of organisms […]
Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron in Hawaii
I went to Kaena Point last week to take some photos of Laysan Albatrosses and I saw this juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) on a rocky shore at the mostwestern tip of Oahu. This […]
Laysan Albatross Pair in Hawaii
The main purpose of my last visit to Kaena Point (Oahu, Hawaii) was to photograph an albatross chick and to see how it is growing. When I finished working with it, I found this Laysan […]
Three months old Laysan Albatross chick in Hawaii
I spent some time with Laysan Albatrosses (Phoeabastria immutabilis) at Kaena Point (Oahu, Hawaii) yesterday, and I was fortunate to see and to photograph this albatross chick again. It is about three months old now […]
Hawaiian Moorhen at Waimea Valley – Hawaii
I hiked to the Waimea Valley last week and encountered this Hawaiian Moorhen (Gallinula galeata sandvicensis). This bird is an endangered subspecies of the American Moorhen (Gallinula galeata), which subspecies is endemic to Hawaii. Its […]
The Wind of Storm – Hungary
This image of an approaching storm is very special for me, because it’s the last one I photographed on film and it was awarded and exhibited among the best images of the National Geographic Photo […]
Hawaiian Monk Seal at Kaena Point – Hawaii
The other animal, besides the Laysan Albatross, that I often photograph at Kaena Point (Oahu, Hawaii), is the Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi). Monk Seal is one of the rarest marine mammals in the world. […]
Humans responsible for most whale deaths in the Atlantic Ocean
The Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) population in the Atlantic Ocean were seriously decreased as a result of intense hunting during the 19th and the early 20th centuries. In 1946, the International Whaling Commission banned commercial […]
Laniakea Beach at Sunset – Hawaii
I visited the North Shore (Oahu, Hawaii) again on this Wednesday to give another chance for photographing basking turtles. Unfortunately, the turtles didn’t show up, so I decided to photograph the sunset. I set up […]
Green Sea Turtle on the North Shore of Oahu – Hawaii
Last weekend, I went to the North Shore of Oahu (Hawaii) for photographing the Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas). The Hawaiian name of the green sea turtle is honu. The Laniakea Beach is one of […]
The mound building behavior of the Steppe Mouse in Hungary
The steppe mouse or mound-builder mouse (Mus spicilegus) is an endemic species to South-East Europe and it is a widespread rodent in Hungary. Its Hungarian name is güzüegér. The steppe mouse occupies in various grassland […]
Laysan Albatross chick at Kaena Point – Hawaii
I visited Kaena Point (Oahu, Hawaii) yesterday to continue my Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) project. Luckily, the chicks are already hatched and I was fortunate to spend some time with this cute baby albatross. Its […]
In Memory of János Balogh
János Balogh was born 100 years ago today. He was a Hungarian ecologist who led numerous expeditions around the world, and for me, he was one of the reasons I became a biologist. When I […]
European Bee-eater – Bird of the Year in Hungary
The bird of the year has been elected each year in Hungary since 1979 by the Hungarian Ornithological Society. In 2013, the European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) has won this title. The European Bee-eater is a […]