Gallery
This gallery is composed of various albums and some videos. Since 2009, I have mainly taken photos of birds in Panama. Many were taken on our small coffee farm located in Palmira, Boquete but also in other parts of Panama. We have also traveled to several countries to birdwatch and photograph. These include: Costa Rica, Ecuador, Southeast Asia, Southern Africa, Hawaii and Egypt. The first albums will focus on Boquete and other parts of Panama. These will eventually be followed by albums from our other travels.
As you view these photos, I hope you take the time to look at each in detail and consider that the photos required considerable effort to find the birds, carry the equipment, set the equipment up, patiently wait for the right moment to click the shutter and then post-process the images. Many hours of dedicated passion and effort is represented by each of these images. Please enjoy the fruits of these efforts. Some of the albums take some time to load so be patient. The albums are best viewed in fullscreen mode.
Albums
Some Common Favorites - This
is a sample of photos demonstrating my basic approach to digiscoping. The
photos are of birds in the District of Boquete in the province ot Chiriqui in
Panama. I try to get a photo of the bird and it's evnvironment and then a
closer view of the bird. While it is not always possible, I try to achieve
this goal. In this album you will first see thumbnails of all the birds in
the album and you can then click on any of the thumbnail photos to see a
larger image and click on
the right or left arrows to sort through the album. Clicking the X takes you back to the
thumbnails page.
Common Boquete Birds
- This is a collection of the most common birds you will find in the District of
Boquete. Finding birds always requires some effort and focus of attention,
but some birds are difficult to find. They don't always come to you.
You have to go to them. The birds in these photos are easily
seen just walking around Boquete and its surrounding areas. Some you can
see in your backyard and at bird feeders with fruits or at hummingbird feeders.
We have seen many of these birds during birding walks in Boquete. We see
them regularly on our coffee farm in Palmira. It just takes a bit of time,
effort and vigilance. Of course you won't see all of them at once.
Living here makes it possible over the course of a few months. Take a look
at the photos and be ready to see them. At the album, you will first see thumbnails of all the birds in
that album and you can click on any of the thumbnail photos to see a larger
image and click on
the right and left arrows to sort through the album. Clicking the X takes you back to the
thumbnails page.
Less Common Boquete Birds
- This is a collection of the less common birds you can find in the District of
Boquete. Finding these birds is more of a challenge requiring more effort
to explore the entrire district. It takes a while to find and see them but they are out
there. If you really want to see them, don't give up. Find the trails and
keep on looking. Eventually you should be able to see most of them. Of
course an experienced birder or bird guide who knows the area can help you out a
lot. At the album, you will first see thumbnails of all the birds in
that album and you can click on any of the thumbnail photos to see a larger
image and click on
the right or left arrows to sort through the album. Clicking the X takes you back to the
thumbnails page.
Harder
to Find Panama Birds - Some Panama birds are a sigificant
challenge to find. This album presents the ones that took significant
effort and dedication to find and photograph. Some times you luck out and happen on to
them, but usually you have to work hard and seek them out. Experienced quality birders
may know where to best look. Guides who are dedciated to birding and
helping people find where they are can be necessary. When you find the
hunted bird it is
most rewarding. The stories behind these photos are associated with deep memories of special
adventures and moments. For me they were hard to get but easy to enjoy. At the
album, you can
click on any of the thumbnail photos to see a larger image and click on the
right or left arrows to sort through the album. Clicking the X takes you back to the
thumbnails page.
Resplendent Quetzal- This
is the most beautiful and elegant bird in the highlands of Panama. People
come to Central America and Boquete from all over the world to try and see this bird. It is
however one of the most challenging birds to find and photograph. Living here makes
it more possible to find. On a short visit, a bird guide is essential.
It is difficult to photograph for several reasons: It is usually in the
mountains, high in tall trees and under the canopy which means shaded with very
low lighting conditions. It has a very long tail which is challenging to
get into the entire field of view of a long range lense. Despite the challenges, it is well
worth the effort to see this resplendent beauty. This album was collected
over many years and outings. I don't regret the sweat involved. At the
album, you can
click on any of the thumbnail photos to see a larger image and click on the
right and left arrows to sort through the album. Clicking the X takes you back to the
thumbnails page.
Three-wattled Bellbird
- This
is an interesting bird easy to hear but difficult to get close to and see. While birding you often hear
them in the distant making their unusual far ranging bonking calls but find
it difficult to locate. The male's call combined with the shaking of
his three wattles is part of his mating seduction routine, which seems to work.
Seeing the male and female together is even less common. You have to work
and be patient to find them. A highly experienced birding guide is
often necessary. It is one of the most challenging birds to find and photograph.
If you find them, they are usually active and hard to catch a pose. I have heard them many times and on
only two or three occasions found them with the help of birders and with the digiscope's long
reach, have been able to photograph them. At the album, you can
click on any of the thumbnail photos to see a larger image and click on the
right or left arrows to sort through the album. Clicking the X takes you back to the
thumbnails page.
Videos
Cecropia Utopia
This video was made in June of 2020 when the Cecropia trees east of our
main floor patio on our coffee farm in Palmira, Boquete Panama were
fruiting and providing lots of food for a variety of tropical bird
species. I sat at the end of the patio with the digiscope system ready
and with a hand held camera (Nikon D7200 and a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-400
f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lense) proped up on the railing. I grabbed photos
off-and-on throught the day for a couple of weeks. The Cecropia trees are
like natural bird magnets attracting many species.
Some
Panama Birds -
These photos were taken over the span of 11 years from 2009 to 2021 in various
parts of Panama but mostly in the Province of Chiriqui in the District of
Boquete where we live. I made this video during the COVID pandemic confinement.
This video presents 263 of Panama's over 1000 bird species. They are presented
by common names in alphabetical order along with their scientific names. Some of
the birds in this video are commonly found in Panama but others are very
difficult to locate and are rarely seen. You can download a list of all the birds
in the video
here.
Bumper Stickers
I like bumper stickers. They often say a lot about life in a nutshell./p>
I recall as a youngster enjoying the Burma-Shave signs along the highways during our various travels.
Over the years, I have created a lot of bumper-stickers regarding many topics. Above is one related to birding and bird photography. Click on it to get a larger image.
You can see some more here.