The Art of Flight

The art of flight. The Mealy Parrot. I sat high atop the canopy at over 120 feet at sunrise watching the sun crest the horizon and the noises of the jungle come to life. It was one of those all too special visceral mornings that stir your soul. Many echoing screeches of the parrots zipped by in every direction. The tower I was on is safe but wobbles and is quite tiny. You have to be very careful as you don't want to drop your gear or trip as you manuever around. I waited for 2 hours trying to get a shot of these parrots. 100s of failed attemps to get one close and in focus. Finally one flew right by the tower and I locked on with my 600 mm lens handheld trying to keep it in frame as it fled by. I manually focused as fast as possible and underexposed it and set my white balance to flourescent in camera to show off the contrasts as the morning sun highlighted its beautiful colors against the forest canopy. I had an image in mind that would look like a painting. Somehow it all came together and it left me with this image. It's probably the most technically difficult image I have ever taken. I am pretty proud of this one. A stunning bird and a poignant reminder of the raw beauty of nature

Tamandua

In all my years working in the rainforest, never have I had such a close encounter with this special animal, the tamandua. Probably because they are mostly nocturnal and rarely seen during the day. I was relaxing in between activities around lunchtime and my local guide and good friend Gilbert came and got me. He quietly took me into the forest where he had spotted this beautiful animal. We watched it for 45 minutes being mindful of its space and watching it eat the termites and ants. They are in the anteater family, have no teeth, and are fantastic climbers. They have very limited vision and rely on their hearing and sense of smell. They utilize their sharp claws and powerful forearms to rip open the nest of termites and use their long tongues (which can reach up to 16 inches and is coated with sticky saliva) to extract the insects. Remarkable animal.

Delicate Balance

Delicate balance. A butterfly perches on a tortoise's head to consume the rich minerals off of its face on Lake Sandoval in Madre Dios, Peru. Planet earth at its finest.

Gilded Barbet

A baby gilded barbet on the banks of the Madre Dios in the Peruvian rainforest

Tambopata River Mornings

A cacophonous melody of birds in all directions, the calming flow of the Tambopata river, a light breeze rippling through the top of the canopy. The sun crests the horizon as many animals head to bed and others wake up for the day. Mornings in the rainforest are absolutely magical. No amount of poetic prose will aptly describe the feeling of just being one with the stunning environment that surrounds you. The lungs of the world.

Huatzin

A Huatzin otherwise known as the chicken of the rainforest. It's also referred to as the stinkbird and is never consumed by locals because of how bad it smells. The reason being is the fermentation process of digestion which leads to an awful smell.

Morning Atop The Rainforest

120 feet above the forest floor. A cacophonous melody of birds in all directions, the calming flow of the Tambopata river beneath the canopy, a light breeze rippling through the air. The sun crests the horizon as many animals head to bed and others wake up for the day. Mornings in the rainforest are absolutely magical. No amount of poetic prose will aptly describe the feeling of just being one with the stunning environment that surrounds you. The lungs of the world. A place we should fight like hell to protect.

Howler

A brown howler monkey checking me out as I float quietly by beneath in a canoe on Lake Sandoval.

Sandoval Reflections

Visitors paddle around in canoes on the beautiful Lake Sandoval in Madre Dios, Peru

Defense

A Tamandua in the defensive pose as it grips the treet with its tail and hind legs and front claws out ready to defend itself if need be.

Bird of Paradise

The wonderfully beautiful Bird of Paradise flower deep in Manu along the Hospital River. Nature is so incredible when we stop and pay attention.

Penetrating Sun

The morning sun penetrates the thick rainforest in Madre Dios, Peru

Floating

Floating in a canoe on the lookout for wildlife near Lake Sandoval in Madre Dios, Peru. These waterways serve as the highways for folks that live in this area. They are the arteries that connect people and places.

Madre Dios Sunrise

Setting off at Sunrise on the Madre Dios to go look for wildlife.

Catching Some Sun

A Capuchin monkey catching a bit of sun.

Sunrise Macaws

A pair of macaws fly by as the sun crests the horizon high atop the jungle canopy in Tambopata.

Shine

Isolating a fallen leaf in the Peruvian Andes. It is amazing the beauty of the simple things when you stop and just pay attention.

Eerie Glow

Eerie glow. Peruvian Amazon.

Howling!

Capped Heron

A capped heron catching the last bit of light of the day.

Clearing Waterfalls

We spent hours hiking through the deep rainforest in Manu researching places to bring a group of Biologists who would be visiting the areas. It was a wild day out there full of hacking away with machetes for hours and slipping through endless mud on steep slopes. We came to this waterfall that was covered by flora absconding the views, so our buddies ended up spending 45 minutes slashing away to open it up so future visitors might be able to enjoy the sights.

A Simple Reminder

Simplicity and the imagination of a child. Coke bottle, plastic spoon and some sand. Fill it up. Shake it around. Make some music. Laugh. And repeat. We can all learn something from this kiddo here in the Peruvian Amazon just being resourceful and content with what he has.

Pilcopata Storm

Storms light up the night in the quiet town of Pilcopata in the Peruvian rainforest.