On April 5th, 2009 a group of botany enthusiasts were out exploring in the remote Northern Rock Islands of Airai state in Palau. Led by Biologist Ron Leidich the mission of the day was to look for and photograph rare flowers. The Northern Rock Islands of Airai represent a botanical transition zone between volcanic Babeldaob and the Southern Limestone Islands. In this case, the explorers got more than they were looking for. A female cycad was in full bloom with a reproductive cone and newly developing seeds. After 15 years of exploring Palau this was the first time that Ron and the team had ever seen a new female cone.

The cycads are an ancient group of gymnosperms that were contemporaries of the dinosaurs. Despite their resemblance to palms cycads are thus actually more closely related to pine trees. The cycads were nearly wiped off the planet when the flowering plants evolved (Angiosperms) in the Cretaceous Period. The mature trees are either male or female and thus produce either a distinctive male cone or female seed pod (dioecious).

This recent set of photographs of the female cycad cone will be added to Ron’s burgeoning collection of plant pictures. Ultimately he hopes to produce a field guide to the Mangrove, Littoral Zone, Near Shore, and Inshore plants of Palau’s Rock Islands.

On Saturday March 7, 2009 Biologist Guide Ron Leidich tracked and photographed a pair of Palauan Ground Doves on Ulong Island. The Doves were casually foraging amongst the leaf leader and approached to within 20 feet. Using a new Cannon 100-400mm lens, Ron was able to get some excellent photographs of these normally elusive birds.

In October of 2008 while leading a WWF Micronesia tour a group of snorkelers were drifting along a current swept channel on the remote island of Pohnpei. A high concentration of plankton had attracted hordes of small fishes, which in tern had caught the attention of giant Manta Rays. The 12 wide filter feeding Rays began barrel rolling through the dense concentrations of plankton. The snorkelers were treated to close up looks at the majestic rays as they rolled and swept just below the surface.

In June of 2008, while leading a WWF Malaysian Borneo Tour, Biologist Ron Leidich followed a commotion in the forest and stumbled across a bachelor herd of Bornean Pygmy Elephants. Standing over 8 feet tall the pygmy elephant is still a formidable beast. Ron and a trusting group of adventurers stalked within 25 feet of this reclusive forest pachyderm. Annoyed at the intrusion the young bull began flapping his ears which was a recognizable sign that it was time to go. Following the jungle track back to a waiting canoe, Ron and the WWF devotees slipped back onto the Kinabatangan River for more adventures.

After years of chasing birds around the rock islands in search of the perfect photo, Paddling Palau founder Ron Leidich has created new Endemic Bird tours. Designed specifically for Birding Life listers these private charters take adventurous naturalists into the heart of Palau's Endemic Bird Habitats. For more info please see our Bird Tours and Bird Life sections of the website.