THE BEST OF 2017

2017 has been another busy year - both personally and photographically. In between renovating my house and getting married I managed 5 trips to South America and a nice 2 week Canadian road trip. It was a productive year and I added a lor of new images to my portfolio.

My main photo shoots this year were to Martinique in March and Chile in October.

In addition, my workshops also had me back in Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil and Churchill.

I have to say that I did not have as much time for making videos or writing as I would have liked in 2017. But in 2018 I'll be coming out with some new Ebooks and videos for sure.

I hope you enjoy this gallery of the best of 2017!

Happy new year!

COLOMBIA

The year began in Colombia where I led my first ever Photo Workshop in this beautiful Andean nation. It was a great tour and we had so many incredible photo opportunities.

Velvet Purple Coronet

Toucan Barbet

Purplish-mantled Tanager

Golden-headed Quetzal

Grasshopper

Yellow-eared Parrot

Andean Cock of the Rock

Violet-tailed Sylph

Velvet-purple Coronet

Buffy Helmetcrest

White-throated Screech Owl

White-capped Tanager

Rainbow-bearded Thornbill

Andean Motmot

Violet-tailed Sylph

Greenish Puffleg

White-headed Wren

Black and Gold Tanager

Glistening Green Tanager

Golden-headed Quetzal

Yellow-eared Parrot

Andean Cock of the Rock

Common Potoo

Grass Green Tanager

White-capped Tanager

Rainbow-bearded Thornbill

Buff-winged Starfrontlet

Shining Sunbeam

Pearled Treerunner

Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager

Golden-crowned Tanager

Shining Sunbeam

Mountain Velvetbreast

Great Sapphirewing

Black-thighed Puffleg

Sword-billed Hummingbird

Buffy Helmetcrest

Streaked Tuftedcheek

Chestnut-crowned Antpitta

Blue-capped Tanager

Summer Tanager

Masked Flowerpiercer

Blue-winged Mountain Tanager

Slaty Brush Finch

White-throated Screech Owl

Long-tailed Sylph

Brown-banded Antpitta

Bicolored Antpitta

Grey-browed Brush Finch

Chestnut-crowned Antpitta

MARTINIQUE

In March my wife and I went to Martinique for a "vacation". Or perhaps more accurately an excuse for me to go photograph birds...

Purple-throated Carib

White-breasted Thrasher

Antillean Crested Hummingbird

Green-throated Carib

Antillean Crested Hummingbird

Purple-throated Carib

Bananaquit

Grey Trembler

Antillean Saltator

Purple-throated Carib

Orange-cheeked Waxbill

Martinique Oriole

Rufous-throated Solitaire

Scaly-breasted Thrasher

White-breasted Thrasher

Antillean Crested Hummingbird

Coastal town Church

Green-throated Carib

ROAD TRIP!

After our wedding we headed off on a 2 week road trip through British Columbia, Alberta and Montana. I didnt shoot that much on this trip.

But I had a few specific targets in the prairies that I did well on. Birds like Lark Bunting, Bairds Sparrow and McCown's Longspur.

Williamson's Sapsucker

Warbling Vireo

Common Yellowthroat

Red-winged Blackbird

Lark Bunting

White-winged Crossbill

McCown's Longspur

Horned Lark

Baird's Sparrow

Chestnut-collared Longspur

Northern Flicker

CHURCHILL

After a short stay at home I was off again. In early June I travelled up to Churchill, Manitoba to lead my photo workshop up there. As usual it was a fantastic time on the tundra and the clients went away with fabulous images of these special birds.

I did not shoot too much but did add a few to my extensive Churchill collection. It's hard to resist taking pictures of those Hudsonian Godwits in that sweet breeding plumage!

Hudsonian Godwit

Willow Ptarmigan

Whimbrel

Bonaparte's Gull

Stilt Sandpiper

Hudsonian Godwit

BRAZIL

After a few weeks back home it was off to Brazil. This was the second year of my Atlantic Rainforest and Pantanal workshop. We had a great time and the photo opportunities for birds and Jaguars were insane.

Hyacinth Macaw

Capped Heron

White-winged Swallow

Scarlet-headed Blackbird

Great Black Hawk

Black-collared Hawk

Savannah Hawk

Greater Rhea

Plumbeous Ibis

Guira Cuckoo

Red-legged Seriema

Rufous Gnateater

Great Black Hawk

Jabiru

Ringed Kingfisher

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl

Toco Toucan

Monk Parakeet

Jaguar

Jabiru

Grayish Saltator

Jabiru

Jaguar

Pied Plover

Capybara

Yellow-billed Cardinal

Chotoy Spinetail

Great Rufous Woodcreeper

Striated Heron

Little Woodpecker

Lineated Woodpecker

Picazuro Pigeon

Nacunda Nighthawk

Southern Lapwing

Bare-faced Ibis

Wattled Jacana

Snail Kite

Nacunda Nighthawk

CHILE

My main photo shoot this year was to Chile. It was a nice change of pace to get out of the tropical ecosystems further north. I really enjoyed Chile and was thrilled with the portfolio I was able to create in the 3 weeks I had.

Magellanic Woodpecker

Andean Condor

Chucao Tapaculo

Slender-billed Parakeet

Torrent Duck

Austral Pygmy Owl

Magellanic Plover

Great Grebe

Patagonian Sierra Finch

Burrowing Parrot

Chestnut-throated Huet Huet

Black-throated Huet Huet

Spectacled Duck

White-tufted Grebe

Chocolate-vented Tyrant

Chucao Tapaculo

Common Diuca Finch

Dark-bellied Cinclodes

Darwin's Rhea

Des'Murs Wiretail

Fire-eyed Diucon

Flying Steamer Duck

Grey-hooded Sierra Finch

Great Grebe

Green-backed Firecrown

Guanucos at Torres del Paine

Least Seedsnipe

Long-tailed Meadowlark

Magellanic Woodpecker

Moustached Turca

Patagonian Crested Duck

Patagonian Sierra Finch

Rufous-chested Dotterel

Rufous-legged Owl

Scale-throated Earthcreeper

Silvery Grebe

Ashy-headed Goose

Band-tailed Earthcreeper

Black-necked Swan

Black-throated Huet Huet

Burrowing Parrot

Chilean Flicker

Chilean Swallow

Rufous-tailed Plantcutter

Spectacled Duck

Variable Hawk

Spectacled Duck

Striped Woodpecker

Tawny-throated Dotterel

Thorn-tailed Rayadito

Torrent Duck

Upland Goose

White-sided Hillstar

White-throated Tapaculo

White-throated Treerunner

White-tufted Grebe

Yellow-billed Pintail

Aplomodo Falcon

Austral Negrito

Austral Parakeet

Black-necked Swan

COSTA RICA

My final trip of the year was to lead a workshop down in Costa Rica. I packed light and only brought my 100-400mm lens. I only took a few photos in Costa Rica as I was focussed on leading the tour. Somehow it is impossible not to photograph a Toucan that is 20 feet away at eye level though!

Keel-billed Toucan

Black-bellied Hummingbird

Black-mandibled Toucan

Emerald Tanager

Prong-billed Barbet

White-crowned Parrot

2017 has been another great year of bird photography!

My 2018 plans are already taking shape. I'll be shooting in Colombia, Jamaica, Brazil and Ecuador. So hopefully I'll have another good collection to share with you by this time next year.

Check back often for the latest news and images.

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