All the hard work paid off for you. Really nice set of images! I was looking through them...scanning, enjoying...wondering where the Resplendent images were. Did he have another post? Not get the images? Them bam...there they are. Such a beautiful bird!
I've sited them twice in Costa Rica but never got glass on them. I'd love to get back there around the mating season for maximum colors.
We were thinking somewhere in South America for a birding trip but its expensive from South Africa and the Middle East
Thanks for the kind words. Skip going so far and just stick to Central America. Not sure how much a ticket to Panama would cost you, but the total cost round trip was just under $2,000. US dollars, of course I only had to fly 2.5hrs coming from South America - good luck with your decision.
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Bobg657 wrote:
Wonderful images, it looks like a great trip!
Thank you Bob, it was a wonderful trip, gotta make another one though.
brimull wrote:
Wonderful variety of colorful birds. Well done!
Brian M.
Thank you Brian for viewing and sharing your thoughts.
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dclark wrote:
Great set of images! Thanks for the background story on how you got them. I am sure your story and images have convinced a lot of people to head to Central America.
Dave
Thanks for the kind words Dave, their is so much food due to the fertility of the cloud forest- birds are everywhere, definitely more than worth the trip for any birder/photographer.
Michael H wrote:
All the hard work paid off for you. Really nice set of images! I was looking through them...scanning, enjoying...wondering where the Resplendent images were. Did he have another post? Not get the images? Them bam...there they are. Such a beautiful bird!
I've sited them twice in Costa Rica but never got glass on them. I'd love to get back there around the mating season for maximum colors.
Hi Michael, glad to know you enjoyed these so much, and the way I posted create a moment of suspense, the joy of being out there in the wild is always a thrill for me. I wish you all the best of luck next visit - hope you get them mating.
Cheers
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dalite wrote:
Wow factor! Any of the shots were taken at the Asa Wright Sanctuary in TnT?
Hi and thank you very much. All of these were taken in Panama, none of these birds can be found in Trinidad or Asa Wright for that matter.
Panama delivered big time to you, Stephen! Bouquete is usually drizzly, it looks like you have had fairly dry hikes. It is encouraging to see that tc's worked well with 200-500 ... even in that scarce light under the dense canopy.
I am truly in awe. That would be the trip of a lifetime for me, but to go would mean the draw to return would remain and I am at an age where the hiking might do me in. I can imagine the exertion necessary for your trip, but the results are unbelievable. Makes the birds we have here in West Texas pale in comparison.
It sounds like a great trip. Many of the same birds as my trip to Costa Rica, You got some very nice images of the Quetzals, not an easy thing to do because of their habitat. Bruce
AGeoJO wrote:
Wow, just a big wow! Those images are awesome - well done!
Joshua
A big thank you for your kind words Joshua, appreciated.
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Tony Admana wrote:
Incredibly beautiful birds! Your adventure story is so inspiring. I'm looking forward to my first ever forthcoming birding trip to Ecuador next month.
Thank you Tony, wishing you a great trip to Ecuador, which is also a place on my soon to must visit places, particularly for the hummers. Hope you get lots of great birds!
xelas wrote:
Panama delivered big time to you, Stephen! Bouquete is usually drizzly, it looks like you have had fairly dry hikes. It is encouraging to see that tc's worked well with 200-500 ... even in that scarce light under the dense canopy.
Thank you very much for your thoughts. Bouquete was indeed very drizzly/cloudy, we had pretty fairly good weather on the first day, the other two days was just soaking wet. lol- glad to make the most of it. The 200-500 I used with the 1.4xTC for the most part, only one time I used the 1.7X and that was for a brief moment at the Canopy Discovery Tower on Pipeline rd. The lens and D500 combo really is amazing, however there were times when I would have to use manual focus and make little adjustments to help focus when contrast was too low. Proper technique is definitely necessary when shooting with the teleconverters to get good images.
mauryt wrote:
I am truly in awe. That would be the trip of a lifetime for me, but to go would mean the draw to return would remain and I am at an age where the hiking might do me in. I can imagine the exertion necessary for your trip, but the results are unbelievable. Makes the birds we have here in West Texas pale in comparison.
Great work and they are all wonderful.
Maury
Hi Maury thanks for viewing and sharing some of your thoughts, interesting you would bring up exactly a topic of what I was discussing with a buddy of mine. All of us are fortunate to be alive and enjoying the benefits of technology along with the diversity and beauty of nature at this point in time. Some of us either because of older age or disabilities are unable to move around as some of the younger fit individuals, but that only lasts for a couple of years- we are all getting younger and at some point visiting a lodge in the forests would be the only ideal choice to make the most of a birding trip. Have fun my friend, always safety first. Happy Texas Birding in the mean time kind sir.
