I started my field work in 2015 at Kaena Point on Oahu, Hawaii. The main reason I chose to visit this place is the Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis). The breeding season of the Laysan albatross […]
Author Archives: Gábor Ruff
Highlights from 2014
As we count down to the new year, it’s a good time for reflecting back on the past year, so I created this gallery with 10 images that mostly highlight my year of 2014. I […]
Self Portrait under the Stars in Hawaii
Growing up in a small village in Hungary far from light pollution, I had plenty of opportunities to watch the stars at the sky even from our backyard. I loved doing this very much. Watching […]
Endangered Hawaii
This is probably the best nature documentary about the Hawaiian Islands and the native Hawaiian birds:
Hawaii: Isles of Extinction
Most people think that Hawaii is a paradise with golden beaches, crystal clear waters and dense rainforests in the center of the islands. This idea of paradise is so engrained in people that most of […]
Fall Colors in Europe and North America
Autumn is a beautiful time of year in most regions of Earth, especially in Europe and North America. Before nature settling down into winter’s monochcrome quiet, autumnal leaf color change transforms the entire landscape into […]
Basking Sea Turtle on the North Shore of Oahu – Hawaii
The North Shore of Oahu has many beautiful beaches and some of them are among the favorite resting places of the Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas). Most of these beaches are well known by tourists […]
Pollinators of the ie ie vine in Hawaii
The ie ie (Freycinetia arborea) is a woody climber plant, that is endemic to the Pacific Islands. I first met this plant a few weeks ago, when I hiked the Aiea Trail in the Koolau […]
Rainforest in the Koolau Mountains – Hawaii
There are normally two seasons in Hawaii, a rainy winter between November and April and a dry summer from May to October, however, the dry season seems to be cancelled this year 🙂 The rainy […]
Cover Story in Madártávlat Magazine: Laysan Albatrosses
My picture of the Laysan Albatross covers the summer issue of Madártávlat magazine. Madártávlat (Bird’s Eye View) is a Hungarian birding magazine published by the Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society (MME). I also have […]
Stretching European Bee-eater
This image of a stretching European Bee-eater is one of my favorite images of this bird species and a very special one for me, because it was featured on the cover of the most popular […]
Total Lunar Eclipse in Hawaii
Yesterday night, residents of the Western Hemisphere experienced a total lunar eclipse. This phenomenon occurs when the Earth’s shadow falls on the moon and darkens it. At the peak of the eclipse, when the moon […]
Male Oahu Amakihi at Waahila Ridge – Hawaii
The Oahu Amakihi (Chlorodrepanis flava) is one of the most unique birds on the planet, because it can be found only on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. It is the member of the Hawaiian […]
Hawaiian Honeycreepers – Oahu Amakihi
Several million years ago a single finch species arrived to the Hawaiian Islands and one of the most amazing stories in the natural world has begun. The ancestral bird diverged into more than 50 different […]
Jackson’s Chameleon in the Koolau Mountains – Hawaii
Hawaii has no native herpetofauna other than marine turtles, but there are many introduced reptiles that have established breeding populations on the islands. The problem with these nonnative animals is that Hawaii’s native species have […]
Same-sex pairing in Laysan Albatross in Hawaii
Same-sex couples are common in the wild. Today, more than 1000 animal species are known to practice various forms of same-sex behavior. These relationships, of course cannot directly produce offsprings so this behavior is often […]
Sea Turtle at sunset on the North Shore of Oahu – Hawaii
The Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) loves to bask on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. The most widely known place, where turtles often crawl ashore is the Laniakea Beach, therefore this place is almost […]
2013: The Year in Review
As 2013 comes to a close, I thought this is the good time to look back to this year. I dug through my photo archive and selected 10 images that mostly reflect my work over […]
Young Hawaiian Monk Seal at Kaena Point – Hawaii
When I go to Kaena Point (Oahu, Hawaii) for working with the Laysan Albatross, like I did last week, I cannot resist visiting the favorite resting place of the Hawaiian Monk Seal. I love this […]
Flying Laysan Albatross in Hawaii
Yesterday, I visited Kaena Point (Oahu, Hawaii) to continue my Laysan Albatross project. I started studying and photographing the Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) last November and I was lucky to document their nesting season which […]
Eastern Chipmunk in North America
Small rodents are one of my favorite animals. I was lucky to research a very interesting species in Hungary during my university studies and I wrote my MSc thesis about the unique mound building behavior […]