For ornithologists, the bird life is impressive, and the sight of two Bald Eagles flying overhead of which one swooped down next to the boat to take fish is one to remember.  On the more remote and undisturbed sandy beaches, you may be lucky enough to see the threatened Piping Plover, Charadrius melodus, a species in decline due to loss of habitat.

Nova Scotia is famous for its fossil localities, and Joggins fossil cliffs with associated museums are an absolute must.

Canada is expensive, including the cost of fuel, and as driving anywhere is an absolute necessity, getting around is by far the costliest part of the trip. Nonetheless, the country is beautiful, the people friendly, and the seafood out of this world.

Be prepared for the drastic change in temperature. Cape Town can be bitter cold on one day, followed by baking heat the next. A hike over the top of Table Mountain can result in cloud-free exposure to the sun – and at altitude – so sun protection and water are essential.

I stayed near the Yahagi River, and it was well stocked with carp which responded to feeding alongside ducks and geese. The Otagawa River is the main river tributary in Osaki, and worth a visit in the early morning.

The food takes some getting used to, and it is one of the few places that I have been in the world where many of the culinary items on offer are unrecognisable. Unfortunately, the tastes of some of the weirdest items were a big disappointment, being rather bland or just plain grotesque. However, Japan is still a great experience for those wanting to try something new.

Photos from this expedition.

Uninhabited by humans, the Mascarene Islands of the Indian Ocean were once home to an extraordinary range of birds and reptiles: giant tortoises, parrots, skinks, geckos, burrowing boas, flightless rails and herons, and, most famously, dodos. But the discovery of the three isolated islands in the 1500s, and their colonisation in the 1600s, led to dramatic ecological changes. The dodo became extinct on its home island of Mauritius within several decades, and over the next 150 years most native vertebrates suffered the same fate. This fascinating book provides the first full ecological history of the Mascarene Islands as well as the specific story of each extinct vertebrate, accompanied by Julian Hume’s superb colour illustrations.

Each copy will be signed by the author, Julian Hume, and also contain an original stippled ink dodo drawing by the author on the title page, so each copy is unique.

Buy Now

Extinct Birds Julian P Hume and Michael Walters

This is the first comprehensive review of the hundreds of bird species and subspecies that have become extinct over the last 1,000 years of habitat degradation, over-hunting and rat introduction. Covering both familiar icons of extinction as well as more obscure birds, some known from just one specimen or from traveller’s tales, the book also looks at hundreds of species from the subfossil record – birds that disappeared without ever being recorded. Julian Hume and Michael Walters recreate these lost birds in stunning detail, bringing together an up to date review of the literature for every species. From Great Auks, Carolina Parakeets and Dodos to the amazing yet completely vanished bird radiations of Hawaii and New Zealand, via rafts of extinctions in the Pacific and elsewhere, this book is both a sumptuous reference and an amazing testament to humanity’s impact on birds. A direct replacement for Greenway’s seminal 1958 title Extinct and Vanishing Birds, this book will be the standard reference on the subject for generations to come.

Each copy will be signed by the author, Julian Hume, and also contain an original stippled ink extinct bird drawing by the author on the title page, so each copy is unique.

Buy Now