Post by Ely Teehankee on Mar 29, 2012 12:14:22 GMT
"Pura Vida" (Pure Life) is the customary way of greeting people in Costa Rica, just like "Aloha" in Hawaii and "Mabuhay" in the Philippines. I first saw pictures of the birds of Costa Rica being posted by Ariel Matias, a fellow member of this Forum. I was amazed by the unusual looking birds like the Toucans, the colorful Scarlet Macau, and the colorful Tanagers. Ariel and I became good friends thru the Forum and we got to see each other whenever he comes home during the Christmas holidays with his family. When the opportunity came for me to have a chance to visit Costa Rica it was Ariel who planned my itinerary. All the target species that he wanted me to see were accomplished. Having seen so many beautiful birds and being able to photograph them made this trip the best birding trip I ever had. Thank you Ariel, and to your wife Michelle who was so concerned about my enjoying my expedition. She could not imagine how Ariel & I were having so much fun just taking pictures of birds. Thier daughter Kyla will be graduating grade school this year. My first set of pictures will be that of the Flame-colored Tanager. This bird is unique because the male is a bright orange colored bird and the female is bright yellow. With this feature you can easily know and distinguish them. I am so amazed by the colors and how God could make their colors so different and yet their offspring would follow the same colors according to their sex. I am so pleased having the opportunity to take pictures of these birds that I have never seen before and would like to share them with you.
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, Canon EF 300mm
f/2.8L IS USM
Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, Wimberley WH200 head. Manual exposure in available light.
The Flame-colored Tanager (Piranga bidentata) is almost as common as our Yellow Vented Bulbul. I had taken pictures of them at a distance and they were discarded when I was able to take closer pictures of them at Myriam Quetzal's Lodge about half a kilometer from Dantica Lodge where I stayed. This place was discovered by Ariel and it is located at San Gerardo De Dota about 100 kilometers South of Sta. Ana where Ariel lives. You will have to past Cerro de la Muerte where the elevation is 3491 meters. Having left the house at 3:30 in the morning we got there at 5:30 to meet the bird guide. That will be another story as I post more pictures of the birds of Costa Rica. They have Avocado trees where the Resplendent Quetzal would come to eat the fruits last October. It is too bad that they no longer go there because so many tourist went to see them and they got spooked. Because of the fruiting trees and flowers various kinds of birds would go to Myriam's place. Myriam who owns and runs the Lodge is also a very good cook and that is where I usually have my lunch. This place gets very cold in the evening and morning. Frost would form when it gets extremely cold on the glass of the lodge and plants along the road. But somehow the birds are used to the cold weather.
Female
1/640 sec., f/8, ISO 400
Male
1/320 sec., f/5.6, ISO 400 with 2X TC
Female
1/640 sec., f/5.6, ISO 800 with 2X TC
Male
1/80 sec., f/5.6, ISO 800
Alex the son in law of Myriam who happened to be there saw that the pair of Flaming-colored Tanager trying to mate and called my attention. I immediately turned the camera to the female and soon after that they were doing what propagates the birds and the bees. All 15 frames were taken in a span of two seconds at 1/1000 sec., f2/8, ISO 400
The male flew away but the female stayed. The expression on the face leaves me wondering what the bird is thinking.
Pura Vida
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, Canon EF 300mm
f/2.8L IS USM
Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, Wimberley WH200 head. Manual exposure in available light.
The Flame-colored Tanager (Piranga bidentata) is almost as common as our Yellow Vented Bulbul. I had taken pictures of them at a distance and they were discarded when I was able to take closer pictures of them at Myriam Quetzal's Lodge about half a kilometer from Dantica Lodge where I stayed. This place was discovered by Ariel and it is located at San Gerardo De Dota about 100 kilometers South of Sta. Ana where Ariel lives. You will have to past Cerro de la Muerte where the elevation is 3491 meters. Having left the house at 3:30 in the morning we got there at 5:30 to meet the bird guide. That will be another story as I post more pictures of the birds of Costa Rica. They have Avocado trees where the Resplendent Quetzal would come to eat the fruits last October. It is too bad that they no longer go there because so many tourist went to see them and they got spooked. Because of the fruiting trees and flowers various kinds of birds would go to Myriam's place. Myriam who owns and runs the Lodge is also a very good cook and that is where I usually have my lunch. This place gets very cold in the evening and morning. Frost would form when it gets extremely cold on the glass of the lodge and plants along the road. But somehow the birds are used to the cold weather.
Female
1/640 sec., f/8, ISO 400
Male
1/320 sec., f/5.6, ISO 400 with 2X TC
Female
1/640 sec., f/5.6, ISO 800 with 2X TC
Male
1/80 sec., f/5.6, ISO 800
Alex the son in law of Myriam who happened to be there saw that the pair of Flaming-colored Tanager trying to mate and called my attention. I immediately turned the camera to the female and soon after that they were doing what propagates the birds and the bees. All 15 frames were taken in a span of two seconds at 1/1000 sec., f2/8, ISO 400
The male flew away but the female stayed. The expression on the face leaves me wondering what the bird is thinking.
Pura Vida
