Singing Quetzal
Resplendent Quetzal: San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, March 2025 — If you go out early in the morning to whichever wild avacado trees are currently fruiting in the Savegre River Valley around San Geraldo de Dota, you are almost guaranteed to see perhaps the most sought-after bird in Central America: The Resplendent Quetzal. The Quetzals are Trogons, but with exceptionally long outer tail covert feathers that stream behind the males, brilliant green and red and white plumage, a remarkable crest and a bright yellow beak. Altogether resplendent! Mario, our guide convinced us to NOT go out early…if the birds are near the road there are literally bus-loads of tourists, birders, and photographers there at daylight…anywhere from 50-100…all jammed together in the road, jostling for a good view and swinging big lenses and tripods with such abandon that it can be dangerous…and at the very least…somewhat unpleasant. He asked us to trust him that he could find Quetzals later in the morning. It was taking a big risk, as, after sunrise, Quetzals are much less predictable. We got to the fruiting trees mid-morning, and no more than stepped off our transit van than we heard at least two males calling. And then they were there. Resplendent in the morning sun, chasing each other through the dense cloud-forest canopy. Such a treat. I could see Mario relax and bask a bit in the vindication. Quetzals are never easy to photograph…never close enough or in ideal light…but I got some of my best Quetzal photos ever that morning. This shot is of a resplendent male singing, and though it is still a heavy crop of a high ISO image, I am pretty happy with it. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Cape May
Cape May Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2025 — One of the things to love about being at the Biggest Week in American Birding on the Erie shore in Ohio is that many of the warblers are singing on their stopover…as though they are just too full of song to hold it unit they reach their nesting grounds. 🙂 This Cape May, photographed through foreground foliage, is a good example. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Bobolink
Bobolink: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — The Boboliks are back, nesting in the hayfields along the road in to our local beach, singing from the tops of the saplings. This was taken on a day when the air was full of Canadian wildfire smoke. The smoke did not dampen the song, but it definitely dimmed the photo. Bobolinks are close to invisible most of the year, but during nesting they certainly put on a show. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. (From the seat of my trike). Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Sunny Woodchuck
Groundhog sunning. It seems to be woodchuck season in southern Maine. This is my second encounter in less than a week. This specimen was obviously sunning itself on a log in an overgrown damp pasture on a warm June day in Kennebunk, Maine. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm. Program with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator. Assembled in VDIT.
Flower Piercer
Slaty Flowerpiercer: San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, March 2025 — Down along the stream below Savegre Mountain Hotel and Reserve, there are almost aways Flowerpiercers working the flowers along the road. This is a female. That beak is specialized for making small holes at the base of flowers and allowing access to the nectar. Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds follow them around and use the holes after the Flowerpiercers are done. Win win. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent (cropped to about 1200mm equivalent). Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Greenie
Green Heron: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2025 — A pair of Green Herons were building a nest in a tree overhanging the pond beside the boardwalk, and over the days of the Biggest Week in American Birding, provided many opportunities for birders and photographers to have close heron encounters. This bird was resting (and perhaps guarding the nest site) within 15 feet of the boardwalk, paying no attention to the crowds of humans it was drawing. It is shots like these the bring out the full subtle beauty of the heron. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Some feet!
Grey-cowled Wood Rail: Cope Art, Gualpies, Costa Rica, March 2025 — Cope has had Wood Rails frequenting his little back yard sanctuary for several years now. He just has the remains of a small talapia pond not much bigger than one of those above ground pools from Walmart, but it attracts an amazing array of birds. You have (or I have at any rate) to admire those amazing dark pink legs and feet and that bright red eye. 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 457mm equivalent (too close for the full zoom). Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications (dark in there around the pool, so ISO 16000). Processed in Photomator.
Taking aim
Least Tern: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — The Least Terns on our local beach have gotten serious about defending nesting territories. Though I stay well away from the strings set out by Fish and Game for their protection, they are still intent on using me for target practice. Two can play that game and I use the opportunity to practice my birds-in-flight…I was going to say “skills” but that implies that there is skill involved when mostly it is just a matter of taking your chances often enough so that you come home with some results that are worth processing…with a few “keepers”. Mostly I find that after their initial alarm and half a dozen passes at me, they settle back down to their nest sites…there are no eggs yet…and if they do not then I move on. I do have a growing collection of white spots on my hat. If I count my keepers and the spots I think the Terns and I are coming out about even. I should point out that this is all taking place on a popular tourist beach, with folks in beach chairs and on blankets all around me, so the Terns do not lack for targets. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
She’s not having any (and neither is he)
Least Tern: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — I thought the Terns might have abandoned our local beach when I visited this week…there were very few in the air when I got there, where there had been many a few days before. I eventually found them, down on the exposed rocky flats just above tide line, busy doing their spring courting. I watched this male hard at it, and though he had a nice big offering none of the females he approached were receptive. She’s not having any, and neither is he apparently. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. (considerably cropped). Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Wild Lady Slipper
Lady Slipper Orchid: Day Brook Pond, Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy, Kennebunk, Maine. June 2025. — It is getting late for Lady Slippers but, what with the weather and a late start on my triking season, I have not gotten out to Kennebunk Plains before yesterday. There are still some Lady Slippers in the woods upstream from the pond, though their numbers don’t seem to be what they have been the past few years. It has certainly been a cool damp spring. This shot was taken with the Sony a6700 and Tamron 50-400 using its macro capabilities at 102mm, and mounted on my little travel tripod that goes down to ground level. I used my macro settings: Aperture Preferred at f14 (1/40th @ ISO 200, -1EV for the highlights). Processed in Photomator.