Recently received photos - June 2018

Kicking off our June Recent Photos Gallery is this photo by guide Jesse Fagan from our Uganda tour of the African Finfoot, one of only three members of this pantropical family. This month we begin with images from Mongolia, NE India, Greece, Panama, and Jamaica, then continue with U.S. tour highlights to Maine, Cape May, Florida, and Texas, finishing in Arizona.

A must-see of our Uganda tour is the incomparable Shoebill, a huge stork with a one-of-a-kind beak, photographed here by guide Jesse Fagan.

There are 28 species of bee-eaters in the Meropidae family, each one more colorful than the next. This is a Northern Carmine Bee-eater. Photo by guide Jesse Fagan.

Red Bishops in non-breeding plumage are almost unrecognizable compared to this brilliant breeding plumage. Photo by guide Jesse Fagan.

They say looking a Mountain Gorilla in the eye is a life changing experience. The hike was absolutely worth it! Photo by participant Paul Bengtson.

Leopards are surprisingly arboreal. Getting high up in trees to rest and consume prey keeps them out of the way of other predators. We were thrilled to spot this beauty. Photo by participant Warren Jones.

Lions spend most of the day resting, and they, too, like chillin' in the trees. Photo by participant Warren Jones.

Let's leave Africa for Asia, where the second run of our new Mongolia tour visited this 130-foot tall stainless steel statue of Chinggis Khaan -- fitting for the legendary Mongolian leader who dominated this region in the 13th century. Photo by guide Phil Gregory.

Przewalski's Horse is an endangered wild species that numbers only in the hundreds. Photo by guide Phil Gregory.

Taking a brief break from birding, we enjoyed a cultural experience visiting the buddhist temple in Kharkhorin. Photo by guide Phil Gregory.

We spend several nights of the tour in cozy Ger camps with wood-bunring stoves inside. Photo by guide Phil Gregory.

Bar-headed Geese are the world champions of high-altitude migration, routinely flying for stretches at over 20,000 feet. Photo by guide Phil Gregory.

The clean white underwings help separate Black-tailed Godwits from Hudsonian Godwits. Seeing them in central Asia is another good clue. Photo by guide Phil Gregory.

The impressive but uncommon Saker Falcon has a stronghold in Mongolia. Photo by guide Phil Gregory.

Demoiselle Cranes are about as elegant as birds get. Photo by guide Phil Gregory.

Leapfrogging China and Nepal, our next tour is a new destination: Northeast India. Riding on the back of an Asian Elephant is exhilarating. It is also a safe platform from which to observe...

...the Indian Rhinoceros. Smaller than its African cousin, this rhino species is still imposing and dangerous. Photos by guide Phil Gregory.

Space is at a premium on the ferry across the Brahmaputra River. Photo by guide Phil Gregory.

The patchwork pattern of a Black-necked Stork looks like a paint-by-numbers project. Photo by guide Phil Gregory.

Woolly-necked Stork is an imaginative name for a creature covered by feathers. Photo by guide Phil Gregory.

This Chestnut-headed Bee-eater seems to have a firm grasp on its next meal. Photo by guide Phil Gregory.

Green-backed Tit has two white wingbars compared to its close relative the Great Tit, which only has one. Photo by guide Phil Gregory.

This Spotted Owlet didn't exactly tuck itself in for the day. Photo by guide Phil Gregory.