Birding Life Photography

Rare Rufous-Vented Ground Cuckoo Photographed

2010-03-26T13:55:00.004-04:00

It has been a number of months since my last blog entry. I have been busy with trips to Peru, Panama and Mexico. I have numerous photographs and stories to share.

I thought it would be fitting to first share this photograph of the Rufous Vented Ground Cuckoo. On a recent Birding Life Tours trip to Panama we were heading up the famous Pipeline road and ran into an Ant Swarm and were likely enough not only to spot this rare bird but also get this one photograph. Not a spectacular shot but given the circumstances I was happy to get the capture. Our guide, Guido Berguido spotted him first. A rare bird and a great find for our checklist. About 20 seconds after this photograph was taken a tiny Hawk swooped in and attempted to capture one of the many birds following this ant swarm.

Join me on our trip to Brazil in Jun. www.birdinglifetours.com

Sandhill Crane

2009-09-24T14:29:00.004-04:00

Its been a few months since I have been on my Blog, so I remembered I had these pictures of the Sandhill Crane I wanted to share. Not much of a summer in Ontario - lots of rain and not that warm. One of the highlights of the summer was this picture I was able to take of these Sandhill Cranes with their chicks. My wife and I were only 10 minutes from our Cottage and she spotted a car stopped on the side of the road looking at something. Naturally we thought it was deer or a bear since we see them often. Nope!!! We saw these new parents. As always I had my camera ready and was able to take a few shots before they became skittish. I have never seen Sandhill Chicks in Northern Ontario before so I was very excited. It seems to becoming a more regular occurrence.

Speaking of excitement, I will be hosting two tours coming up soon. Come tour with me in either Panama in December or Costa Rica in January. Only a few spots left!! Check us out at www.birdinglifetours.com. Hard to beat prices with a very different service offering.

Highlights from Point Pelee 2009

2009-06-05T16:39:00.002-04:00

The highlight of this years trip to Point Pelee for Spring Migration was the Prothonotary Warbler. Most of the time he was very far away and we needed our binoculars to get a good look, however, luck was on our side when he flew in for a quick look at us!!!

I have never been this close to an American Coot. It was after a long day in the park and we were heading out and decided to have a quick stop at the boardwalk. We were very glad we did.

This Black Billed Cuckoo is a lifer for me. Never ran across one before and would have missed this one if the group in front of us on the trail didn't spot him. He was motionless for a very long time. Lots of cameras captured him that fine day.

One of my favorite photographs is this action shot of two male Red Breasted Mergansers. What is missing from the photograph is the female just to the left of the image and a third male to the right. Spring is wonderful!

Last and least, is this Black Throated Green Warbler. Rather a boring photograph, however it does capture a colorful male.

Join me on Birding Tours around the world. Check out my site at www.birdinglifetours.com for details and reduced recession prices.

Birding Clothing - Basics and Extras

2009-04-23T09:18:00.003-04:00

I am taking a bit of a diversion from my normal photography blogging to talk about Birding Clothing - Basics and Extras. Birding can take many shapes, from a quick stroll after breakfast to a formal birding trip into the rainforest. Naturally, your clothing needs to adjust as well.

The Basics

comfort - first and foremost wear what is comfortable. Get rid of what looks good if it is not comfortable. You want to be watching the birds NOT thinking about how sore your foot is because your shoes are not comfortable.
footwear - hiking boots, hiking shoes and rubber boots are all good choices depending on the terrain. Hiking boots and shoes are waterproof and will keep your feet dry in rain and in wet terrain. If you bird a lot in uneven terrain then get the extra ankle support provided by hiking boots. Rubber boots can get you much closer to the birds when your are birding in wetlands.
clothes - earth tone clothes are best - please no bright colors or white. Stick with Khaki, brown, green, and gray. A comfortable hat will come in handy for the rain and sun. Pick the same colors as mentioned above. Make sure you wear clothes that don't squeak or rustle when you walk. Sometimes the most expensive rain gear can make a lot of noise when walking.

The Extras

Vest - a lightweight vest with lots of mesh can be a good addition to your birding gear. Lots of pockets always come in handy for fieldguides, protein bars, camera gear etc. Also it provides an additional layer of clothing which will keep you warm.
Repellent - Insect repellent is handy at times and fits easily in a vest pocket. I would recommend only using it when the bugs are really bad as it can be quite greasy and make marks on your plastic equipment - binoculars and cameras. That is because of the chemical "Deet" used in most effective repellents. Be careful!!
Poncho - a cheap poncho that goes into one of your vest pockets comes in handy for those sudden rainfalls and helps keep your equipment dry too.
First Aid Kit - a very small kit that contains painkillers, bandages, and tensor bandages are best and can fit into a vest pocket as well. Don't let a headache or a sore knee, ankle spoil your birding experience.

Here is a short video that describes the basics.

Join me and my guides on one of my birding tours to Central and South America. I have new recession price cuts for the remainder of my 2009 tours. Have a peek and see an example of the hardcover birding journal that is included with each tour at www.birdinglifetours.com

Cinnamon Hummingbird - Mexico

2009-03-30T12:37:00.002-04:00

Cinnamon Hummingbird, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

This photo was taken in the Yucatan. We were staying at one of the resorts and this particular Hummingbird was seen just off the resort during a birding walk. In my travels I am always amazed at why there are not hummingbird feeders everywhere. The different types of hummingbirds that can be attracted can be quite amazing in Central and South America yet most general resorts don't have them. Hummingbirds are generally liked by not just birders, but all types of people.

I find Hummingbirds extremely hard to identify. I usually need a photograph so that I can pick it out from the many types in Central and South America.

It is great now that our one Hummingbird in Ontario (Ruby-throated) is now making its way north and should be here sometime in April. A number of them nest very close to where we keep our Hummingbird feeder. In fact wearing a red t-shirt near a Hummingbird feeder can bring some interesting results. Try it sometime!!

I remember I was amazed that the first time I did not get my feeder out in early spring the Hummingbirds would go right to the exact spot of where the feeder was the year before and just hover. The guilt quickly made me ensure our feeders are up early every year.

Join me in one of my birding tours in Central and South America. Look for details at www.birdinglifetours.com

How Technology is changing Bird Photography

2009-03-24T11:27:00.005-04:00

The Traditonal Approach to Great Bird Photography

Taking quality Bird photographs has always been a trade off. Buying a quality DSLR with a quality 500mm lens (the best for bird photography) would not only set you back thousands but you would have a weight of about 9-10 pounds as well as a tripod for most situations. Plus you want to take your binoculars as well, right? So you are talking about at least 12 pounds to lug around with you. Does this sound like a practical solution for bird photography if you are a serious birder and want great photographs? Now with this setup the photos you do take will be exceptional. There is no question about that. Shooting bird photographs from a 500mm prime lens sitting on a tripod will get you the highest quality photographs that technology will allow you today. But how many will you miss? Setup time is long. Can you really carry all this around for a few hours while birding? Of course not!! You will shorten your walks with the equipment and miss many birding photographic opportunities.

The Digiscoping Alternative

For many years, digiscoping was an alternative solution that many people followed and were able to capture good photographs in an affordable way. The major trade off here was the quality of the photograph and of course you still needed to carry a tripod along with you. Setup time was also a problem as it is in the first alternative above.

So what do we need to fix for a much better solution? First, we don't want to spend the kids college fund to take bird pictures. So we need something affordable. Second we need to realize that we are birders and we will be walking for hours on many of our trips so weight of our equipment is important. Lastly we want photographs that we can be proud of and hang on the wall if we so desire.

Because of all the increased technology options at much reduced prices, I offer a solution to these challenges with minimal trade offs. This is what I ended up doing myself.

The Solution

How to minimize weight?

First thing we need to do is get rid of our 500mm prime. This is the heaviest piece of equiment and restricts our mobility the most. Luckily this is also our most expensive item so helps enormously to bring our cost down. The alternative is a lower cost (not cheap), lighter (not light) 200mm - 500mm zoom lens. Tamron and Sigma choices will not only save you money but save you weight as well. You can expect to pay $800 - $1200 as a rough guideline. Your weight reduction will be around 6 lbs!

Now before everyone jumps all over me. This does create a problem. These lenses do NOT let in as much light as the more expensive 500mm lens. This is a problem that needs to be addressed which I will do later.

How do I improve reaction time and get more bird pics?

This is an easy one, we leave the tripod at home. Contrary to popular belief you can handhold a telephoto 200-500 lens and get great shots. The key is to shoot at high shutter speeds of at least 1/500th sec. This will also let in less light and greatly contibute to our lighting problem described above. What you will achieve is a reaction time that no other solution can hope to compete with.

How does AUTOISO solve my problems?

Most DLSRs today have an autoiso feature. What this does is automatically change the ISO or ASA setting with each picture you take. What this does is effectively allow you to shoot at 1/500th sec and lets say F6.3 but at a higher ISO which would allow you to take the picture that normally you could not.

Whats the problem with AUTOISO?

Shooting at higher ISO creates noise on your photographs. The conventional way of thinking which is still correct is to be able to shoot at the lowest ISO as possible.

How is newer technology solving this problem?

Two equally important technology developments are going along way in reducing noise. First, and most importantly the latest cameras are beginning to reduce noise significantly at high ISOs. I was shocked at the lack of noise in my Nikon D90. The second way is through using post processing software to reduce the noise in your images.

The photograph below of the Indigo Bunting was shot using an ISO of 2000. Although there is still some noise, it is much reduced from what you would have seen just a year ago using older technology.

There are many other advantages to shooting in the method I am describing however I do want to just get my main hypothesis out as clearly as possible. Using Flash will again minimize the high ISOs as much as possible.

I hope this has helped people think of more creative solutions in their bird photography and increase the number of quality bird photographs they are able to achieve.

Join me on one of my birding tours. Visit www.birdinglifetours.com for details.

Memories of Point Pelee

2009-03-12T13:42:00.002-04:00

Henslow Sparrow, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

This years Point Pelee trip is scheduled for May 4-7. I have been thinking what excitement will happen this year. Over the past 2 years we had great luck as my brother and I had seen the Henslow's Sparrow in 2007 and in 2008 we were lucky enough to get a photograph of Kirtland's Warbler. You can see that photograph in an earlier post.

The Henslow's Sparrow was so tired from its long trip that we were able to get a few photographs. Here is one from my collection.

I have recently returned from my trip to the Yucatan and have some great photographs that I am excited to share with you. I am just getting over a bad cold and should be able to put them up soon.

Join us on one of our tours, visit www.birdinglifetours.com for more information.

In Search of the Snowy Owl

2009-02-10T12:45:00.004-05:00

It was rather a cloudy day - not a great day for taking photographs but I was keen on searching for a Snowy Owl. With Birding you never know what can show up at any particular time however this is the time to find the Snowy Owls as they come south in search of food. Now I did not find a Snowy Owl that day but I had my camera ready when I literally ran right into these 2 White Tailed Deer.

With all the snow and cold weather we have been having it has made me dream about my Costa Rica Birding Tour I am hosting in late May. Why not join us. Come checkout the details at www.birdinglifetours.com

BirdingLife Tours

2009-01-19T10:42:00.004-05:00

My apologies for not making a blog post since the end of October. I have been very busy concentrating on building my new company - BirdingLife Tours.

Until now my career has focused on business and technology. For most of that time, I’ve had a passion for birding and photography - two hobbies that seem to overlap for so many people.

While hiking through the Monteverde Cloud Forest in 1992, I saw my first Resplendent Quetzal. To say I was amazed is an understatement. The surroundings of the cloud forest mixed with the Quetzal touched me deeply and left me speechless. I knew I experienced something special, but to this day I could never truly portray how that changed me. From that moment on, my hobby of birding became a passion. I began my lifelist and gradually started to become more aware of the world around me.

Always interested in photography, I then started taking pictures of birds. I gradually upgraded my equipment and skills until I was satisfied that I was capturing many of those magical moments in photographs to be enjoyed forever.

BirdingLife Tours wants to not only take you on that magical journey but capture those moments forever. A beautiful hardcover bound book is included with every tour. This photo journal will include all the highlights of your trip, the birds, that special meal, new friends, as well as a list of all the birds seen on the trip.

I started BirdingLife Tours so that I could create magical moments for others and be able to give them lasting memories, as well as contribute to environmental awareness and conservation.

Please have a look at www.birdinglifetours.com to learn more about this exciting new company!!!

Red Tailed Hawk

2008-10-31T14:38:00.004-04:00

You should always travel with your binoculars and camera in your vehicle. Most of us will have the best of intentions but rarely follow this simple rule. If you do manage to do it I guarantee that it will pay off once in a while. I was travelling down a back road and ran into this Red Tailed Hawk. I reached into the back seat and grabbed my camera and snapped a few shots before risking getting closer. This was the best shot I was able to capture.

Red Eyed Vireo in the rain

2008-10-27T13:37:00.005-04:00

I have recently created a website to display my best photographs over at photos.birdinglifetours.com. I will be adding photographs on a regular basis as it is a little time consuming to get each photograph prepared to be sold. It is an opportunity for individuals who like my photographs to purchase them in many different formats including, prints, canvas mounted, frame mounted and strange things like puzzles and magnets. You can also crop my pictures to your personal taste on checkout. Use the coupon code Blog-November at checkout and the first 10 people will save 20% during the month of November.

Loon Baby with Fish

2008-09-17T08:48:00.001-04:00

Loon Baby with Fish, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

Here is another shot I captured on the same boating trip I described in my last blog entry. At first I didn't realize there was a small fish in the loon's mouth. I cropped the photograph slightly so now you can see the minnow quite clearly. Again, the light is quite good. My poor brother who forgot his camera :-(

Common Loon and Baby

2008-09-14T18:11:00.002-04:00

Common Loon and Baby-1, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

We are now moving away from India to Northern Ontario in Canada where this Mother has just fed her baby loon. My brother Tim was taking me for a boat ride but he forgot his camera however I did have mine. We stayed with this pair for about thirty minutes and I got a lot of great photographs. This is one of my favorites. The picture was taken on Deer Lake.

Asian Openbill - India

2008-08-29T15:13:00.001-04:00

Asian Openbill, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

Staying in the same sanctuary location as the last few posts, I noticed this Asian Openbill Stork bringing nesting material over to her nest. The sun was perfect and I was able to get a few pictures of the chicks as well.

Darter - India

2008-08-18T12:33:00.001-04:00

Darter, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

I have always enjoyed taking photographs of nesting birds. Here is a Darter from my trip to India. A big nest compared to what I see in Canada. I was able to get fairly close as we were traveling in a small row boat as we moved around the sanctuary.

Rose Ringed Parakeet - India

2008-07-27T22:00:00.001-04:00

Rose Ringed Parakeet, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

This is a favorite of mine. I love the morning light. I was in a park in Bangalore just when the sun was rising. It was a little scary at first as there were a few roaming dogs around that didn't look that friendly however more people started arriving and I was feeling safer by the minute so I could get back to serious birding.

White Browed Wagtail - India

2008-07-20T09:21:00.002-04:00

White Browed Fantail, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

In the same bird sanctuary (Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary near Mysore) I captured this photograph of the White Browed Wagtail. So many of the birds at the Sanctuary were large storks. I am surprised I was able to notice this much smaller bird.

It was a very hot day with bright sun. I would have preferred to be there earlier in the morning to get better light however I was very happy to be at such a wonderful location.

As you can see from this photograph the White-browed Wagtail is insectivorous, and often fans its tail as it moves through the undergrowth.

Painted Stork - India

2008-07-13T10:48:00.001-04:00

Painted Stork, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

Well I think its time to cover some photographs from my India trip. This picture was taken in Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary near Mysore in Southern India. We were on a small raft with many kinds of birds all around us on small Islands nesting. I will post more from this incredible area over the next few weeks.

This photograph is of the Painted Stork. It is a tropical species which breeds in Asia from India and Sri Lanka to southeast Asia. This is one of my favorites. It was a very hot and humid day and catching the stork drinking water was very lucky.

Ruddy Turnstone - Hawaii

2008-06-25T23:13:00.002-04:00

Ruddy Turnstone, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

Keeping with the theme of long range migratory birds, here is the Ruddy Turnstone which breeds in Northern Alaska and the far north of Canada. The Turnstone winters in many areas of the world with this one staying in Hawaii.

Pacific Golden Plover - Hawaii

2008-06-24T21:59:00.003-04:00

Pacific Golden Plover, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

Its been awhile since my last entry - busy busy times. While I was in Hawaii there were numerous Golden Plovers all over Hawaii. Most parks and lawns had a few. This one allowed me to get pretty close.

The migration of the Plover is quite amazing with most making the Alaska to Hawaii trip non-stop. If you want to read more about the migration of this Plover check out this site

Common Waxbill - Hawaii

2008-06-07T17:27:00.001-04:00

Common Waxbill, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

Sometimes the nicest photographs can happen just by going for a walk. In this case I came across the Common Waxbill. This waxbill is native to sub-Saharan Africa but is now common in many parts of the world - A true survivor!!! It is also known as the St Helena Waxbill.

Japanese White Eye - Hawaii

2008-06-04T12:01:00.002-04:00

Japanese White Eye, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

This is lazy photography at its best. I hate to admit it, however I am sitting on a lounge chair by the pool at a Honolulu hotel when this Japanese White Eye decides to pose for me. Naturally I take my camera everywhere and I get this nice shot. So laziness does pay off from time to time.

Saffron Finch - Hawaii

2008-05-28T17:04:00.002-04:00

Saffron Finch, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

Well, I thought I would continue with the Hawaii theme and show this photograph of the Saffron Finch. Often used as a cagebird they have established themselves in Hawaii. It originally came from just outside the Amazon Basin in South America and is a type of Tanager.

I discovered this bird poking around on the grass beside our condo we were staying in. He was nice enough to pose before he left.

Hawaiian Stilt - Hawaii

2008-05-26T13:02:00.002-04:00

Hawaiian Stilt, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

On a recent trip to Hawaii, I picked up this rare picture of the Black Necked Stilt or more specifically the Hawaiian Stilt which is endangered in Hawaii. This bird is considered by many to be a subspecies of the Black-necked Stilt and by others to be a distinct species. The Stilt is the only shorebird to breed in the Hawaiian Islands.

We were returning our rental car at the airport and just across the street I noticed the stilts. I pulled the car over to the side and grabbed my camera. My wife Darlene was going crazy as we were about to board a plane and needed to return the car. Oh well, the life of a nature photographer!!!!

Endangered Kirtland's Warbler at Point Pelee

2008-05-17T17:23:00.008-04:00

I just came back from Point Pelee doing our yearly birding trip to catch the migrating warblers. It was just a wonderful time. We saw about 20 species of Warblers over 3 days. The highlight of our trip was a rare endangered Kirtland Warbler.

As the story goes..... someone heard the song and in about 1 hour of hearing the song, about 30 of us were trying to find the bird. Now this Kirtland loved to sing but also loved to hide. After about 1 hour we didn't see the bird and a number of us were giving up. This was the last day for Tim(my brother) and I, so we decided to leave as well and try our luck elsewhere. We had a 4 hour drive back to Toronto and time was pressing on. Now about 1 hour later we heard that indeed the Kirtland showed its head. We decided to keep on birding the trail we were now on instead of going back. Well that lasted about 10 minutes. At Tim's urging we heading back to the the Kirtland spot and about 30 minutes later it showed it's head for a few quick short seconds, however my camera was ready so I have these very special shots for you. About 60 people were gathered around all jammed together to experience this very special moment.

Here is some additional info on the Kirtland Warbler.

Blue Cotinga #2 - Panama 2008

2008-05-12T09:17:00.004-04:00

Blue Cotinga, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

Well, I just got back from Dominican Republic and can start actively blogging again. Today, I am heading off to Point Pelee in Ontario to catch the migrants coming north. I will post some new pictures from Point Pelee as well as some great shots I got in Dominican and some great photos from a recent trip to India.

Now here is the second promised photograph of the Blue Cotinga. I just love the colour of blue although I did have to use a flash on this one and the colour maybe a little more intense then normal.

Red Legged Honeycreeper #2 - Panama 2008

2008-05-06T21:11:00.002-04:00

Red Legged Honeycreeper, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

I am sitting in the lobby of a resort in Punta Cana in Dominican Republic as I write this - The joys of technology!!! I promised another shot of the my second favorite bird from my last trip to Panama. Here it is - the very colourful Red Legged Honeycreeper. We were very close as I took this shot. It really makes my day when I see such a beautiful bird up close and personal. The photograph is just an added bonus.

Squirrel Cuckoo - Panama 2008

2008-05-02T11:23:00.004-04:00

Squirrel Cuckoo, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

I am down to my last few Panama shots. I may show a few other different photographs of my 2 favorite birds from Panama - The Blue Cotinga and the Red Legged Honeycreeper.

The interesting thing with this Cuckoo is how he moves through the branches. It becomes readily apparent how he got his name.

Black Tailed Trogon - Panama 2008

2008-05-01T16:58:00.004-04:00

Black Tailed Trogan, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

Ah, the stately Trogan, looking down at the world with such a manner of superiority. At least thats what I think when I see their posture - always easy to pick them out from a distance before you see the coloring. Here is a neat video of the Black Tailed Trogon in action.

Blue Crowned Motmot - Panama 2008

2008-04-27T09:07:00.003-04:00

Blue Crowned Motmot, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

My brother Tim and I saw many Motmots thanks to his exceptional eyes. The most numerous species we saw in the Canal region of Panama was clearly the Blue Crowned Motmot. We were able to get pretty close on many occasions and I was able to snap this nice shot which shows the crown quite nicely. Here is a nice video of the Blue Crowned Motmot.

Unidentified Panama Bird - 2008

2008-04-22T21:40:00.001-04:00

Unidentified Panama, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

We can't quite figure out what bird this is. It was seen in the canal area of Panama in January. Can you help us? I have posted on a few forums but no answers yet.

Song Wren - Panama 2008

2008-04-21T20:43:00.002-04:00

Song Wren, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

I have been away at my cottage in Northern Ontario the last few days and didn't have access to a computer so I missed my blogging.

I am now back so I thought I would share this picture of the Song Wren from Pipeline road. He popped his head up and once the photograph was taken he was gone. The picture should really be cropped however I really like the natural framing of the shot so ended up leaving it like this.

I remember this moment as if I was still there - the joys of photography.

Slaty Antshrike - Panama 2008

2008-04-15T12:15:00.002-04:00

Slaty Antshrike, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

Yet another catch for us on the Pipeline Road. This guy was gone as soon as I took the picture. Quick pose and whew - I am outta here. Here is a video of another Slaty Antshrike on Pipeline Road.

Turkey Vulture - Panama 2008

2008-04-13T22:40:00.001-04:00

Turkey Vulture, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

Although not your typical bird to highlight in a photography blog or a Panama birding trip - I do have to say this is a favorite photograph of mine. It was at the end of a long day of birding and the late afternoon light was just perfect as was the branches of this tree. Normally we all see the Turkey Vultures soaring in the sky but rarely do we see them sitting on a branch in perfect light!!!

Red Lored Parrot - Panama 2008

2008-04-12T20:06:00.004-04:00

Red Lored Parrot, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

First morning of our trip we come running (as fast as 2 old guys can) out of our villa and headed to the resort grounds to start our birding. We were pretty excited. Lots of birds everywhere, however we were very disorganized. I was looking in one direction telling Tim to look at this bird and he was doing the same looking at other birds. It took us a good 30 minutes to get our system working. During that time of chaos I was able to get this decent shot of the Red Lored Parrot. I really love morning light!!!

Dot Winged Antwren - Panama 2008

2008-04-11T13:02:00.003-04:00

Dot Winged Antwren, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

Yet another catch from Pipeline Rd. We saw many of them. By the time the week was up this poor guy wasn't getting any of our attention. Now these guys really split up the chores equally between male and female birds. This includes all the activities around raising its chicks. Here is the song of the Dot Winged Antwren.

Thick Billed Euphonia - Panama 2008

2008-04-10T11:16:00.003-04:00

Thick Billed Euphonia, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

We wanted to spend a morning at the Summit Ponds, a local birding spot in the Canal region of Panama. I had the GPS location as I picked it up from Google Maps before I left. We took a taxi but quickly realized that the driver didn't know English and we didn't know Spanish. We managed to get fairly close to the Ponds when we finally gave up and walked the last mile using the GPS. The GPS came in so handy for all of our birding in Panama. I would never go birding again without it. It was also a great help in deciding when to head back to meet our ride. It would inform us to speed up or slow down as we heading back to our start point(and awaiting Taxi) from a long day of hiking.

We caught this shot of the Thick Billed Euphonia just after getting to the Summit Ponds. Lots of canopy birds there too however we didn't have our scope with us that morning so missed many of them.

Here is a wonderful video of the Thick Billed Euphonia shot at the Canopy Lodge - a few miles from the Summit Ponds.

Collared Aracari - Panama 2008

2008-04-09T13:49:00.005-04:00

Collared Aracari, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

While staying at our resort we saw numerous Collared Aracari. They can be confused with one of the larger Toucans at first but they are much smaller and indeed are a type of Toucan. Seeing them eat the fruit they so desire is amazing to watch. They would ignore us as long as they were eating. They moved around from fruit tree to fruit tree in groups of 6-12. Here is a great video of the Collared Aracari having lunch!!!

American Pygmy Kingfisher - Panama 2008

2008-04-08T16:08:00.002-04:00

American Pygmy Kingfisher, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

We sat down by a small lake to rest from our hiking through the rainforest when this small Kingfisher came to pose for us. I was right by the edge of the water and I had to keep looking at the water's edge as I saw a few Alligators near us. But heck - birding and photography come first and it certainly wasn't the first foolish thing I have done.

Tropical Kingbird - Panama 2008

2008-04-07T10:02:00.003-04:00

Tropical Kingbird, originally uploaded by Michael A. Nelson.

This Tropical Kingbird looks so elegant. He seems to be telling me he is the King and he is looking out over his kingdom. I couldn't have staged this picture any better then fate provided me. We saw this guy on the grounds of the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. Here is a short video of a Tropical Kingbird catching a dragonfly.

Chestnut Mandibled Toucan - Panama 2008

2008-04-06T08:34:00.005-04:00

We saw Toucans almost every day as we were walking. We never tired of seeing them and always stopped to take pictures. Such beautiful birds. They came right up to the resort entrance one early morning when we were waiting for our taxi to take us to Pipeline Road. There is something about seeing a toucan up close that can just make the trip regardless of what other birds we would see. You can hear it here.

Fasciated Antshrike - Panama 2008

2008-04-04T23:32:00.005-04:00

Ok, now who doesn't think he is trying to talk to me? Yes, this guy was checking us out on Pipeline Road. We were also checking him out too. Here is a great video of a Fasciated Antshrike taken from the surfbirds site. Pipeline Road certainly kept up to its reputation as one of the premier birding locations in the world.

White Necked Jacobin - Panama 2008

2008-04-04T14:06:00.005-04:00

We were heading up Pipeline Road and stopped at the newly built Panama Rainforest Discovery Centre. There were many of these rather large hummingbirds all around the centre. There was a very nice trail system around the centre as well. It deserves a lot more of our time on our next trip. As we were leaving to meet our Taxi, a fellow came running up to us - all excited - telling us to go back to one of the trails as a rather large ant swarm was attracting many birds. We looked at our GPS and realized we didn't have time to go back. It was a missed opportunity. I have yet to see my first large ant swarm. Next time!!!!

Red Legged Honeycreeper - Panama 2008

2008-04-03T15:25:00.004-04:00

Now this guy does not look too pleased with me. I was only a few yards away. He kept darting around the branches hiding from me until finally I was able to get this picture. Part of the fun for me is the hunt to get the perfect picture. I am a lister as well. So first priority for me is to see the bird so I can go "tick", second priority to to secure the perfect picture - one that brings the emotional magical moment back again and again. Sounds sappy but very true for me. This photograph was taken on the Gamboa Rainforest Resort grounds.

Rufous Motmot - Panama 2008

2008-04-02T18:32:00.004-04:00

We saw many Motmots on our trip to Panama. My brother Tim was the expert Motmot finder. I was almost running into them before he would say - "stop stop". This is a favorite pic of the Rufous Motmot we saw on Pipeline Road.

Blue Cotinga - Panama 2008

2008-04-02T17:35:00.009-04:00

My brother Tim and I went to Panama in January, 2008 for a week of birding. This was such a wonderful trip!!! We were out birding every morning by 6:45am. We stayed at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. Although we hiked for many miles into the rainforest, we saw perhaps our rarest find within 5 mins of our resort. Here is a wonderful photograph of the Blue Cotinga. It was the end of a long day of hiking and we were heading back to the resort only to find this fellow fly right beside us on the trail. We raised our cameras and were thrilled with the shots we were able to capture. This is my favorite.

White Winged Scoter - Fall 2007

2008-03-31T17:44:00.005-04:00

This is a favorite picture of mine. My brother and I were returning our boats to the marina for the season and we spotted about 4-6 Scoters in the middle of our lake. We were able to get fairly close after a few attempts. I got this shot just before we left.