Resplendent Quetzal

The number one bird that I wanted to see while on my last trip to Costa Rica. This male Resplendent Quetzal was out chasing a lady and spent quite a bit of time hanging out in an Avocado Tree just a few feet from the trail.

Lesser Violetear

By far my favorite Hummingbird. The Lesser Violetear is spectacularly colored across its entire body. The aqua green color mixed with the violet ear patch make this small bird stand out compared to any other.

Cooper's Hawk Post

This Cooper's Hawk was spotted scanning the cattle fields for prey in Point Reyes National Seashore. It's brilliant red eye sets it apart from others.

Scarlet Macaw

I have to say, it is one thing to see a Scarlet Macaw up close in captivity...its a total game changer when you get to see flocks of them in their natural environment. This Macaw was accompanied by its mate in this tree before heading for greener pastures.

Balancing Act

A Snowy Egret perched on a post in a shallow pond. The fall colors were beginning to come out and created a beautiful backdrop for this stunning bird.

Stripe-Tailed Hummingbird

This male was an aggressive defender of a patch of flowers just below this branch. Every time another Hummingbird flew near the patch, this guy would dart down and chase it away. Each time, he would promptly land back on this branch and reassess the situation.

Wilson's Warbler

This brilliantly colored Wilson's Warber perched on a tiny branch. These little birds are only about 4 inches in length but they pack a powerful song that you can hear echoing along the forest edge.

Black-Throated Trogon

The Black-Throated Trogon seems like it would be easy to spot considering its bright colors. However, when walking through the rain forests of Corcovado National Park, something this beautiful could be just feet away from you without you knowing. Luckily we were able to spot this guy who was just 10 feet from the trail.

Evening Night Heron

The Black-crowned Night-Heron is a bit different than the more easily recognizable Egret or Great Blue Heron. This species, following its name, it most active at night, especially at dusk. I shot this heron foraging on the mud flats during low tide just before the "Blue Hour." I really like how there was just enough light on the bird to show off its drastically different colors. The black back section gives off an iridescent color, its eye is bright red, and the rest of its body is a light gray color.

Fiery Throated Hummingbird Close Up

The Fiery Throated Hummingbird is the most spectacularly colored Hummingbirds I have ever seen. With just the right angle, you are able to see exactly how it was named. These birds only breed in the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama above an altitude of 1400m. Luckily for me, this one decided to sit long enough for me to capture its amazing colors.

Resplendent Quetzal

The number one bird that I wanted to see while on my last trip to Costa Rica. This male Resplendent Quetzal was out chasing a lady and spent quite a bit of time hanging out in an Avocado Tree just a few feet from the trail.

Green Honeycreeper

This Green Honeycreeper was one of my favorite birds to see when I visited Costa Rica with my then Fiancé. They are quite curious birds and it seemed to sit in front of my camera as if to pose for multiple shots. Its stunning body colors are capped off with a bright red eye.

Fiery Throated Hummingbird

A wider view of the Fiery Throated Hummingbird perched on a flower stem.

White-Throated Mountain Gem

Unlike most birds, this Female White-Throated Mountain Gem is brightly colored. It almost looks like some of this girl's feathers are twinkling.

Great Blue Heron on a Mud Flat

This is one of my favorite photos of the Great Blue Heron. You can really see the differences between all of its feathers. Its throat feathers almost appear to create a beard on the bird. Although you may think of Heron's as fish eaters, Great Blue Heron's also eat a wide range of shrimp, crabs, aquatic insects, rodents, and other small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and even other birds if the opportunity presents itself.

Slaty-Tailed Trogon

One of the four species of Trogon that we were able to see in the rain forests of Corcovado National Park. This bird was spotted in the canopy high above. I was able to move into a position that allowed me to get a side view through the dense growth of the canopy.

Rufous Tailed humming Bird

While in Costa Rica, we visited a fantastic bird sanctuary. Costa Rica has 54 different humming bird species, of which we saw 5 different species at this location. It was amazing to see such a high concentration of humming birds in one spot. Like other hummingbirds, it feeds on nectar and small insects and is quite territorial, especially of its roosting spot between feedings.

Wilson's Warber Song

One of my favorite Warbler species, the Wilson's Warbler comes with a black cap that looks like a neatly slicked-back hair do.

Black Oystercatcher

This shot was taken as this Black Oystercatcher scurried between the rocks on the rugged Mendocino coastline. A drop of water still hangs on its beak after checking for oysters and mussels in the shallow tide pools.

Double Crested Cormorant Swimming

Coming from the midwest, it always amazes me how ever-changing the tidal areas are along the California Coast. This Double Crested Cormorant was swimming along a tidal stream and headed out to the bay. Along the way, it was diving for the fish in the creek. Their green eyes are amazing.

What you looking at?

This Long-Billed Curlew was standing on a small sand bar within a tidal stream of brackish water. Their long bills are perfect for probing the ground for worms or for reaching under rocks for small shrimp and crabs.

Snowy Egret in Golden Creek

This Snowy Egret was foraging for food in a brackish creek. The golden reeds overhead added a nice golden refection in the still creek below.

It's Getting a Little Deep

This Snowy Egret was up to its thighs in a tidal pool searching for food using its feet. After stamping one foot around in one place, it would move to another section of the pool until it was satisfied that nothing was there and would move onto the next pool. It is pretty fun to watch them fish using this technique.

Snowy Egret in the Mud Flats

This Snowy Egret was out on the mud flats using the stamp technique to find food in the pools.

Sova

Sova, a Barred Owl, is an animal ambassador for the Wildlife in Need Center in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. I was fortunate enough to spend time capturing some portraits of this amazing bird. Sova's left eye was removed after a car accident that caused a rental detachment and brain damage. Today she helps educate students.

Keel-billed Toucan

This was the first Toucan I had seen on our first trip to Costa Rica. Toucan's have the largest bill to body size ration of any bird species. It has recently been discovered that the bills are so large in order to remove heat from the bird from the hot temperatures of the tropical rainforest.

Butterfly

An unidentified butterfly spotted in Costa Rica. If you know the species, please comment.

Yellow Warbler Singing

One of my favorite and most difficult midwestern birds that I have ever shot. The Yellow Warbler is a beautiful bird that stands about 4 inches tall. It constantly changes position and only sits still long enough to sing once or twice before moving to a new spot in its territory. During mating season these birds are extremely territorial and often battle for the best locations.

Lesser Violetear Feast

A Lesser Violetear captured mid-flight testing some flowers that a group of bees are interested in.

Red-breasted Merganser

A Red-breasted Merganser surfacing after a dive on a fiery colored lake in Northern Illinois. The shot was taken off a metal dock in 30 degree weather...lets just say, it was a little chilly.

Stunning Swan

A Mute Swan preening in the early morning light.

Curious Tanager

A female Flame Colored Tanager surveys the situation from a mossy branch in the Southern Cloud Forest of Costa Rica.

Mossy Quetzal

The number one bird that I wanted to see while on my last trip to Costa Rica. This male Resplendent Quetzal was out chasing a lady and spent quite a bit of time hanging out in an Avocado Tree just a few feet from the trail. Here, he is relaxing and showing off his colors on a moss covered branch near the Quetzal National Forest in Costa Rica.

Yellow-Thighed Finch

Are those shorts that guy is wearing? Nope! The Yellow-Thighed Finch struts his stuff looking like he is wearing a pair of yellow shorts.

Lesser Violetear

Here you can see the amazing diversity of aqua colors that the Lesser Violetear has across its body. The color is topped off by the streak of Violet and Purple colors below its eye.

Who are you looking at? Quetzal

The number one bird that I wanted to see while on my last trip to Costa Rica. This male Resplendent Quetzal was out chasing a lady and spent quite a bit of time hanging out in an Avocado Tree just a few feet from the trail.

Silver Throated Tanager

Perched in a mossy hideout this Silver Throated Tanager is able to show off its wide range of colors.