The rich biodiversity of Costa Rica provides an astonishing 903 species of birds.
A Lesser Violetear perches on a thin stem allowing a nice framed shot with the 500 f4 prime, these magnificent hummingbirds are so vibrant they're impossible to miss.
This individual I found briefly resting in-between it's efforts in guarding his precious patch, scaring off any neighbouring nectar feeders.
I came across this Ornate Hawk-Eagle male after watching him and his fledgling battle for territory all morning, crashing through the canopy above the river Chirripo was an impressive sight. Sure enough the male eventually perched right in front of us.
I was fortunate enough to see this juvenile Ornate-hawk eagle on one of it's favourite perches. Cutting and pushing through the dense cloud forest I managed to come eye-level with this impressive raptor.
One morning in the same area as the the other encounters, the adult female was beautifully perched with a kill, a black guan.
I had the chance to visit a post where a Common Putoo had laid her egg. These birds are masters of disguise and blend in perfectly to tree stumps and posts.
The brilliant Lessen's Motmot has been a subject I have dreamt of capturing for some time, it's florescent colouration and interesting behaviour has always drawn me in. In the mountains of the Cloudbridge reserve located in the south pacific of Costa Rica, I have been seeing these birds everyday.
Photographed here early one morning are three Collared Aracaris posing in an almost symmetrical stance, I have had the pleasure of photographing these Aracaris on numerous occasions and they all have their own individual personalities. I first photographed these aracaris in 2019, safe to say they call Tortuguero home.
The Black-Collared Hawk is a raptor that feeds on fish and other unfortunate top feeders. this impressive and stunning bird of prey sometimes resides in our quieter canals during the day, waiting for his moment to dive on his prey.
This particular encounter lasted around 10 minutes. After another drive-by on the canoe we realised he had caught a fish and we watched as he tore the fish apart with his powerful talons..
On a late afternoon bird survey I captured this young Tricoloured Heron in some beautiful light, I watched as this young bird frantically ran around in the shallows learning how to hunt.
During a brief pause I was able to position myself with a 500mm prime lens and capture this shot.
The Boat-Billed Heron is a rather rare sight within the twisting canals of Tortuguero, as a nocturnal bird they are quite shy and timid.
I was fortunate enough to spot this heron in the understory on the side of our canal California, it was just dark enough that the nocturnal bird was comfortable and I was able to up the ISO and secure some shots while it hunted.
In the deep undergrowth of the forest a small bird called the White-Collared Manakin resides, whizzing and hopping through the thick vegetation makes this species difficult subjects. However, sometimes in a brief pause within the chaos a male presents himself, clapping his wings together to produce loud clicks and clacks to attract females and ware off other males.
The Osprey is one of my favourite birds of prey. the size and power this species carried is unparalleled when it comes to fishing.
We are lucky enough to have a resident osprey living on our canals, however, it has proven difficult to photograph this shy individual over the years.
