Costa Rica Bird Photography Workshop

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Costa Rica Bird Photography Workshop, December 2018

Conducted by Max Ortiz Aguilar

Max Ortiz Aguilar is a professional Nature Photographer who lives in Calgary. Since 2014 he has maintained a website, www.photosbymoa.com, where he has his portfolio of photos available for sale and for licensing as digital downloads. Last year Max joined the Friends of Fish Creek birding course to learn more about the local birds, and he has since been contributing to this blog.

Keel-billed Toucan

Max is a native of Costa Rica and knows the birds and other wildlife there very well. This December he will be conducting a Bird Photography Workshop in Costa Rica. This twelve-day trip is a fantastic opportunity to encounter the wildlife of this amazing country, and to learn how to photograph the birds there.

Red-headed Barbet

There will only be three spots offered [as of July 15 there are only two spots still available]. Act now to reserve your spot! The trip is from December 4-16.

Included:

Photography mentoring by Max (in the field and post-processing)
Online working sessions before and after the workshop
Multi-flash photography setup for hummingbirds
Single accomodation at all locations
All meals, including morning and afternoon snacks
Tours and park fees
Fees for local guides
Transportation in Costa Rica (including to and from the Juan Santa Maria airport)

Not Included:

Airfare
Macro photography sessions
Alcoholic Drinks
Laundry
Insurance
Other miscellaneous items

Cost:

Total cost per participant is $4,800 USD (all taxes included). To Book, a 50% deposit is required. This deposit is non-refundable but it is transferable. The other 50% must be paid by September 15, 2018.

For more information and to register for this workshop, visit Max’s site:

https://www.photosbymoa.com/Workshops

Green Honeycreeper

Itinerary, December 4-16, 2018:

December 4 – Arrival in Costa Rica

December 5 to 7 – Caribbean Lowlands Rainforest

December 8 to 9 – Caribbean Lowlands and Foothills Rainforest

December 10 to 12 – Central Highlands Cloud Forest

December 13 to 15 – Central Highlands Cloud Forest

December 16 – Departure from Costa Rica

Here are some more of the incredible birds you may see and photograph:

Resplendent Quetzal

Yellow-throated Toucan

Baltimore Oriole (yes, some of our local species are also found in Costa Rica).

King Vulture

White-necked Jacobin

Black-crested Coquette

Ornate Hawk-Eagle

Scarlet Macaw

Book your spot here!

Summer Birds of Crowsnest

Jul14

Raymond Toal photographed these birds in SW Alberta.

Steller’s Jay

Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe with chick

American Avocet

Varied Thrush

Pileated Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker with young in nest

Short-eared Owl

Bald Eagle

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

American Kestrel

Furry Friday: More Pikas

Jul13

American Pikas photographed in July 2018 by Tony LePrieur.

Pika

Previous posts featuring American Pikas:

You can see more of Tony LePrieur’s photos on his Flickr page.

Some Birds of Fish Creek Park

Jul12

Tony LePrieur photographed these birds in Fish Creek Park on June 23, 2018.

House Wren

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler with food for its young.

American Goldfinch

American Goldfinch.

Tree Swallows Leaving a Backyard Nest

Jul8

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Beryl Isaacs has been watching a pair of Tree Swallows that nested in McKenzie Lake in SE Calgary. The nest hole was in an old post in her neighbour’s yard. All photos by Beryl Isaacs.

Tree Swallow

There were four baby Tree Swallows in the nest on July 4, 2018.

Tree Swallow

Baby Tree Swallows waiting to be fed.

Tree Swallow

The young Swallows are almost ready to fledge.

House Sparrow

A House Sparrow at the nest hole.

Tree Swallow

As the swallows fledged, one begged for food from the House Sparrow.

Tree Swallow

The House Sparrow attacked the young swallow, but no damage was done.

The House Sparrow, judging by its plumage and the yellow gape at the corner of its mouth, is a recently fledged bird itself. Adult House Sparrows sometimes kill young birds of other species if they get the chance.

Beryl was lucky to see Tree Swallows successfully nest in the city. Since House Sparrows and Tree Swallows are about the same size, they use the same size of nest holes. Aggressive House Sparrows usually harass Tree Swallows that try to nest in backyard boxes or nest holes. Tree Swallows are far more successful when nesting in city parks or outside the city, away from House Sparrows, which are almost always found near human structures.

Tree Swallow

Parent Tree Swallow feeding a fledged bird.

Tree Swallow

Still feeding during the fledging process.

Tree Swallow

By the end of the day the young swallows had all fledged and were not seen again at the nest.

Have you had any birds nest in your yard this year? Share your photos here [birdscalgary(at)gmail.com].

Happy Canada Jay!

Jul1

Canada Jay

Gray Jay by Anne Elliott.

Happy Canada Day! After being called the Gray Jay for almost sixty years, this bird will soon be known again by its previous name, the Canada Jay. There is also a movement under way to have it officially recognized as Canada’s National Bird. Read more about it and about this photo on Anne Elliott’s Flickr page.

More Birds of the Southwest

Jun30

Here is another set of photos from Southwest Alberta, courtesy of Raymond Toal.

American Kestrel.

Osprey

Osprey.

Killdeer

Killdeer.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron.

American White Pelican

American White Pelican.

Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Crane.

Common Yellowthroat

Common Yellowthroat (male).

Swainson's Hawk

Swainson’s Hawk.

Brewer's Blackbird

Brewer’s Blackbird.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle).

Priddis Valley Road Wetland

Jun24

Tony LePrieur photographed these birds at the wetland just south of Priddis, on Priddis Valley Road, on May 26, 2018. The entire Priddis area is very birdy, and there are lots of wetlands to explore.

Wilson's Snipe

Wilson’s Snipe.

Wilson's Phalarope

Wilson’s Phalarope.

Black Tern

Black Tern.

Northern Shoveler

Northern Shoveler, male.

Baltimore Oriole

Baltimore Oriole.

See more of Tony’s photos here.

Cliff Swallows of the Weaselhead

Jun23

Tony LePrieur recently captured some of the Cliff Swallow activity at their nests under the big green bridge in the Weaselhead. This is a great spot to watch them as there is a colony of up to 1000 birds there. They are often seen flying overhead hunting for insects, and you can sometimes see them gathering mud from the banks of the Elbow River to build or fix up their nests. The photos are from May 20, 2018.

Cliff Swallow

Below is a bonus photo of a singing Lincoln’s Sparrow. Always lots going on in the Weaselhead!

Lincoln's Sparrow

Tony LePrieur’s photos can be seen on his Flickr page here.

Birds of Southwest Alberta

Jun17

Here is a great set of photographs of birds taken in the SW corner of the province, by Raymond Toal. Raymond took all of these photos in the spring of 2018.

Ferruginous Hawk