2. Brazil

Pixaim River and Fazenda St Tereza

Pantanal wetlands, Brazil
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Hyacinth macaw at sunrise (best larger)<br /> <br /> The hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is the largest of the macaws and is an endangered species. A family of wild birds lived a short walk from my hotel in the Pantanal, but they wouldn't tolerate a close approach and flew off screeching alarm calls everytime we came within photo distance of the tree. Early yesterday morning before sunrise I very carefully and very slowly snuck up to the tree where they were nesting and managed to get a few shots, including of this juvenile, as the sun first hit the tree. They flew off as they usually do to feed after sunrise with no alarm calls, so I didn't disturb their natural behaviour.<br /> <br /> 18/11/14 <a href="http://www.allenfotowild.com">http://www.allenfotowild.com</a>
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Hyacinth macaw at sunrise (best larger)

The hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is the largest of the macaws and is an endangered species. A family of wild birds lived a short walk from my hotel in the Pantanal, but they wouldn't tolerate a close approach and flew off screeching alarm calls everytime we came within photo distance of the tree. Early yesterday morning before sunrise I very carefully and very slowly snuck up to the tree where they were nesting and managed to get a few shots, including of this juvenile, as the sun first hit the tree. They flew off as they usually do to feed after sunrise with no alarm calls, so I didn't disturb their natural behaviour.

18/11/14 http://www.allenfotowild.com

BrazilPantanalThe hyacinth macaw Anodorhynchus hyacinthinussunrisejuvenile

  • Hyacinth macaw at sunrise (best larger)<br /> <br /> The hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is the largest of the macaws and is an endangered species. A family of wild birds lived a short walk from my hotel in the Pantanal, but they wouldn't tolerate a close approach and flew off screeching alarm calls everytime we came within photo distance of the tree. Early yesterday morning before sunrise I very carefully and very slowly snuck up to the tree where they were nesting and managed to get a few shots, including of this juvenile, as the sun first hit the tree. They flew off as they usually do to feed after sunrise with no alarm calls, so I didn't disturb their natural behaviour.<br /> <br /> 18/11/14 <a href="http://www.allenfotowild.com">http://www.allenfotowild.com</a>
  • Gotcha!<br /> <br /> Great black hawk catches a fish (best largest)<br /> <br /> I'm still practicing trying to catch the birds of prey fishing. The Great black hawks (Buteogallus urubitinga) are magnificent large birds that swoop down from the trees by the river's edge and catch fish in their claws. The exact moment of contact can be seen here. <br /> <br /> 15/11/14 <a href="http://www.allenfotowild.com">http://www.allenfotowild.com</a>
  • Ocelot at night
  • Ringed kingfisher (Megaceryle torquata) catching a fish (best largest)<br /> <br /> Today was one of the most challenging and humbling of my photographic career, and I now have a lot more respect for photographers who shoot bird action shots! We were trying to photograph kingfishers and hawks in action catching fish on the Piquiri River. These birds are lightening fast and it is almost impossible to freeze the action. After a lot of frustration and practice, I found that, even though it was bright sunshine, I had to set the shutter priority very high (1/2500 to 1/3200 second), and raise the ISO to 2000 to get a bit of depth of field. The birds sit in trees along the river and home in on ripples that the fish make on the surface of the river. It helped to have a spotter who gave a warning when the birds left their perch. I set the D810 to AF-C (continuous focus) and kept the motor drive on while focusing on the ripple and then panning on the bird as it caught the fish and flew rapidly off. I got better as the day went on, and I learned to predict the action of the birds, and this photo is a result of the day's practice.<br /> <br /> 10/11/14 <a href="http://www.allenfotowild.com">http://www.allenfotowild.com</a>
  • Adult and baby capybara on the banks of the Pixaim River, Pantanal, Brazil
  • Capybara family
  • Capybara reflected in the Pixaim, River, Pantanal, Brazil
  • Lone capybara on the banks of the Pixaim River, Pantanal, Brazil
  • Ringed kingfisher
  • Greedy Southern caracara (Caracara plancus) with two fish in its mouth, Pixaim River, Pantanal, Brazil
  • Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) drying its wings, rear view, Pixaim River, Pantanal, Brazil
  • Camouflaged Green iguana (Iguana iguana), Pixaim River, Pantanal, Brazil
  • Bare-faced ibis pair (Phimosus infusctus), Pixaim River, Pantanal, Brazil
  • Sitting around waiting for some food to appear<br /> <br /> Southern caracara (Caracara plancus), also called the Southern crested caracara, by the Pixaim River, Pantanal,Brazil. The caracara is a bird of prey related to the falcon family. It is an opportunistic feeder and will eat pretty much anything that is lying around including carcasses and garbage.<br /> <br /> Some photographs of capybara, the giant rodents that were on the river bank near where I took this photo, can be seen here: <a href="http://goo.gl/kPzGNA">http://goo.gl/kPzGNA</a><br /> <br /> 08/12/13 <a href="http://www.allenfotowild.com">http://www.allenfotowild.com</a>
  • Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) drying its wings, front view <br /> <br /> The anhinga is also called the snake bird, since its long neck looks like a snake in the water. There were many different bird species along the Pixaim River, Pantanal, Brazil. The best way, maybe the only way, to see them was by boat.<br /> <br /> Other photos of birds from the Pixaim River, plus a camouflaged iguana, can be seen here: <a href="http://goo.gl/auXp6l">http://goo.gl/auXp6l</a><br /> <br /> 10/12/14 <a href="http://www.allenfotowild.com">http://www.allenfotowild.com</a>
  • Ringed kingfisher catching a fish
  • Ringed kingfisher flying off with speared fish, Pixaim River, Pantanal, Brazil<br /> <br /> It was impossible to see at the time due to the extremely fast action, but looking at the salvageable shots afterwards you can see that sometimes the bird speared the fish with its bill.
  • Ringed kingfisher homing in on a fish, Pixaim River, Pantanal, Brazil<br /> <br /> The birds come in very fast and even at 1/3200 sec it was not possible to freeze the action completely. The fish is just a white blob in the middle of the ripples in this shot.
  • Ringed kingfisher with just caught fish, Pixaim River, Pantanal, Brazil<br /> <br /> A shot of another bird emerging from the splash with a fish in its beak.
  • Ringed kingfisher flying off with its fish, Pixaim River, Pantanal, Brazil

  • Rick Willis

    on December 6, 2021

    What a Pretty Bird 😃...

  • Eyeshots

    on February 6, 2018

    Wonderful!

  • Greg&Rose Photography

    on February 5, 2018

    Very good capture of this parrot, noted the keywords!

  • fotoeffects

    on June 12, 2017

    What an unusual parrot...terrific shot!

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