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To make a long story short, I was in Ecuador recently although the pandemic was still raging in some parts of the world. It rained quite a bit while I was there. Actually, it rained everyday. The smaller birds didn't seem to mind much. Hummingbirds love gloomy and/or rainy days. Some of them did get drenched but they were still active and they could shake the water off, just like dogs do, after the rain stopped.
Largish birds, on the other hand, I saw them at a few occasions, became somewhat lethargic. They stayed perched and moved their head back and forth or up and down and did so at a slow motion. You could literally moved in closer for close-up, within reason, of course, and they stayed put. One interesting aspect of the the rain, because their feathers are completely hydrophobic, beads of water just stayed on the top of there head or body. There are 3 birds the feather of which, I noticed to have that characteristic: Toucan Barbet, Plate-billed Mountain Toucan and Crimson-rump Toucanet. And here are some images of them during heavy rain.
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Joshua
These are jaw droppingly gorgeous. What a wonderful accompaniment to my Satmorning coffee. So much to savor here. Looks like you were really able to take best advantage of what the weather (and birds) presented you. My only criticism is I wish there was more. I also like the descriptions you’ve been providing with your photos.
Gorgeous images Joshua. I bet the water was beading up on you and your gear as well. Like George, I'm enjoying my morning coffee while viewing these delightful images.
These are jaw droppingly gorgeous. What a wonderful accompaniment to my Satmorning coffee. So much to savor here. Looks like you were really able to take best advantage of what the weather (and birds) presented you. My only criticism is I wish there was more. I also like the descriptions you’ve been providing with your photos.
Cheers
George
Thank you very much for your kind comment, George! I am glad you like those images. I do have images of other largish birds in the rain but they we semi-protected by the rainforest canopy and the water beads on their feathers were not that obvious nor large. I will be posting more of these 3 birds albeit not in the rain…
morris wrote:
Gorgeous images Joshua. I bet the water was beading up on you and your gear as well. Like George, I'm enjoying my morning coffee while viewing these delightful images.
Morris
Morris, thank you very much for your kind words.Between the rain poncho and partly covered areas, a little water didn’t harm me nor the gear.
These images are spectacular with superb detail and clarity. Really enjoyed looking at all of these exotic birds and how colorful they are. Did you a flash on any of them?
dallvr wrote:
Wonderful set, of which I particularly liked 2, 3 and 5! All are beautiful and the birds in some cases look resigned to being in the rain.
Shirley, thank you very much for your kind words! Yes, those birds did look resigned to be rained on alright.
louie champan wrote:
These images are spectacular with superb detail and clarity. Really enjoyed looking at all of these exotic birds and how colorful they are. Did you a flash on any of them?
I appreciate you kind comment, Louie! No, no flash was used for any of them. Flash is okay and used from time to time for hummingbirds but it is a no-no for these birds, especially the toucan barbet and plate-billed mountain toucans that are not that easily seen.
roadapple wrote:
Wow, Beautiful set in all Joshua !!! #3 really strikes me, but all are fantastic.
Thank you very much, Tom! I am glad you like the images.
Absolutely stunning images, Joshua! Love all of them. Would love to get down to Ecuador/Costa Rica for a birding trip in the future. Definitely on my bucket list.
