Birding and Bird Photography

Dude that's crazy! Good job finding it and great photo, too!
When does fall migration start for you guys? Davis started in mid to late september, but that's much farther north

 

That is an excellent find!

 

Kevin I don't think even WOW works LOL. Very impressive. Please keep the ticks down there though there are enough of them up here now already! And they are still moving North.

Mark great job hunting that bird down! Yeah I will be both sad and glad to see the birds leave here but I also get to see a few different ones during the migration. And there are always a few that come here to spend the winter, but not many.

 

Oooh, that'll be exciting! The RTT is a good idea for a blind. Are you planning on leaving it on your truck or taking it off to set it up on the ground (although I don't know if you actually can set an RTT up on the ground...)?

Alright, finishing off my photos so far in Ecuador.
These next ones are from Puyo in the Amazon. I didn't take too many pictures because I didn't want to risk my T2i in the places we were going, so I was usually only using my P&S, unfortunately.
There were some interesting new birds, though! The most exciting were the Caciques and Oropendolas. Just the names are crazy! I think they're normally actually a little boring and not very exciting because they were only in disturbed areas, but they were new and way different, so that was cool.
Also a few different tanagers, and a few Amazon Kingfishers, which were beautiful! About the size of the Belted Kingfishers back in North America but entirely green with white breast and belly. Didn't get a pic of them, but they were probably my favorite from that trip.

On to the pics:
Pretty, but not entirely, sure that this is a Social Flycatcher. Either that or maybe a Great Kiskadee.

Social Flycatcher by 92shawman, on Flickr

Not entirely sure on this one either... Fulvous Shrike Tanager or female Silver-beaked Tanager

Potential Fulvous Shrike-Tanager by 92shawman, on Flickr

These two I know for sure!

Palm Tanager and Silver-beaked Tanager by 92shawman, on Flickr


Thrush-like Wren by 92shawman, on Flickr


Palm Tanager by 92shawman, on Flickr

Not a bird, but by the size it might as well be! Quite the proboscis, too!

DSCN8189_edit_small by 92shawman, on Flickr


Yellow-rumped Cacique by 92shawman, on Flickr


Russet-backed Oropendola by 92shawman, on Flickr


Tropical Kingbird by 92shawman, on Flickr

Not a very good picture, but it was the only Magpie Tanager I saw. Pretty unique color for the area.

Magpie Tanager by 92shawman, on Flickr

Spot the bird There were a few of these guys in the tree. Too bad this is the best picture of them.

Chestnut-eared Aracari by 92shawman, on Flickr


Violaceous Jay by 92shawman, on Flickr

And then this poor, sad specimen

DSCN8138_edit_small by 92shawman, on Flickr

This is where we saw the Amazon Kingfishers...beautiful place!

DSCN8079_edit_small by 92shawman, on Flickr

 

Alright, last trip! The birds were super cooperative this trip, so I got a fair number of good shots
This trip was up to the base of Cotopaxi at Laguna Limpiopungo. It's listed in the guide book as a $15-$20 taxi ride up the mountain from the highway each way. My girlfriend and I ended up hitching a ride up with a random family that was kind enough to pick us up and it turned out they were going to the same place, so that was super convenient! They refused any money, so that was a free ride. Then coming down we hitched another ride in the back of a pickup truck and that was also free, so we saved $30-$40 bucks in travel!
Even if we did have to pay, it would've definitely been worth it! The Páramo habitat in the Andes is just so crazy up there at 13,000 feet elevation!

Laguna Limpiopungo by 92shawman, on Flickr


Volcán Cotopaxi by 92shawman, on Flickr

First and most obvious birds that we saw right when we got there were the Andean Gulls:

Andean Gull by 92shawman, on Flickr


Andean Gull by 92shawman, on Flickr

Then we started walking on the trail that goes around the lake and spotted this family of Andean Teal slightly hidden in the veg:

Andean Teal by 92shawman, on Flickr

Another duck species! Didn't really expect to see anything other than Andean Teal, so these guys were exciting:

Yellow-billed Pintail by 92shawman, on Flickr

Aaand then the Cinclodes. They were so fun! They spent most of their time running on the ground to avoid the wind and they would forage for berries I think hidden in the vegetation. They'd also have the occasional skirmish between individuals fighting over territories where they'd flick their wings a tiny bit and do a little peep/squeak at each other. It was adorable

Chestnut-winged Cinclodes by 92shawman, on Flickr


Chestnut-winged Cinclodes by 92shawman, on Flickr


Stout-billed Cinclodes by 92shawman, on Flickr

Birds are definitely dinosaurs...just look at that classic "running velociraptor" pose!

Chestnut-winged Cinclodes by 92shawman, on Flickr

Then there were a few of these guys that flew by. Definitely didn't expect to see flycatchers up there!

Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant by 92shawman, on Flickr

And a few of these little Sierra-Finches as well:

Plumbeous Sierra-Finch by 92shawman, on Flickr

 

This guy flew by chasing a gull at one point. Flew RIGHT over our heads, it was crazy!

Carunculated Caracara by 92shawman, on Flickr


Carunculated Caracara by 92shawman, on Flickr

The Andean Coots are really quite large, or at least they appear to be much larger than American Coots when they were next to the Andean Gulls. Maybe the Gulls are smaller, though...

Andean Coot by 92shawman, on Flickr

More Andean Lapwings. Pretty bird, very flashy wings in-flight:

Andean Lapwing by 92shawman, on Flickr


Andean Lapwing by 92shawman, on Flickr

Aaand my favorites for last...the Andean Teals! When we were on the other side of the lake there were at least 15 Teal all around. A few of them were flying around chasing each other and fighting a bit, it was exciting! I got some really great photos, if I do say so myself

Andean Teal by 92shawman, on Flickr


Andean Teal by 92shawman, on Flickr


Andean Teal by 92shawman, on Flickr

Landing!

Andean Teal by 92shawman, on Flickr

My favorite part is their speculum. Such a beautiful line of green on the inside! It really stands out against the dark black of the rest of the speculum.

Andean Teal by 92shawman, on Flickr

And that's pretty much it! I might get some more birds up in Quito or Otovalo this weekend before I head home, but I'm not sure yet.

 

Here's a few of my bird shots.

1.


2.


3.


4.


5.

 

Awesome! Really like the Osprey and Burrowing Owl shots. What camera and lens were/are you using, if you don't mind me asking?

 

Code:

Camera Maker: NIKON CORPORATION 
Camera Model: NIKON D800 
Focal Length: 200mm 
...

The last one looks like a Nikon.

 

1,2,& 4 were with a Nikon D700 with 70-200 VRII lens.
3 was with a Nikon D3s and 70-200 VRII lens.
5 was with a D800 and the 70-200 VRII lens.

 

Next month is supposed to be our hawk watch migration, so i hoping by the end of sept and early nov, we should start seeing some movement

 

Great pictures 1x1MTB, really like the osprey.

Mark hard to believe already?! Yeah Hawk Ridge gets busy from mid Sept to end of Oct. You can watch the raptor counts and tell when they headed from the arctic South.http://www.hawkridge.org/

 

I have spent some time at HR Mike! Really great watching there, too bad I wasn't in to photog when i would go and glass with the binocs! I feel like you must be located near Duluth?

 

Hey Marc, I wish! I'm down in Rochester. Work at Mayo and often travel to all the Health Systems Sites in Mn. and Wi. I spend later half of Sept. and most of Oct. grouse hunting in the Arrowhead hunting Lake and Cook counties. Have a good friend that lives in Silver Bay. My unit head told me recently I could move anywhere I want and work from home. Giving serious thought to Grand Marais area... Haven't made HR at the right time of year or at least yet anyhow. This year I'm going to make it in Oct. And with a camera

 

Nice!!! My dad works at Mayo Eau Claire, formerly Luther Midelfort as an orthopedic surg. You may even have met him if you've been to that campus

Grand Marais a bit removed but man what a nice place for somewhat removed and relaxed life. Angry trout has some good grub there from memory

I'll be anxiously awaiting your pics come october from your trip to HR!

 

Thanks! Here's a few more of the series.









I have this one printed in a 24X36 for my house.

 

Be interesting to see the nest in a few days.