Shoot First; Ask Questions Later

February 13, 2020 4 Comments

I’ve discovered something about myself: I’m a discoverer. And I suspect that most of you reading this blog are, too.

A love discovery is why I love birdwatching. Researching birds and being able to figure out what they are through that research is much like searching in an archives or learning new information from an oral history interview. Then taking that information and synthesizing it so it makes sense to me and perhaps to an audience—getting to play with words! That’s the best part of all.

Sometimes I get frustrated that I don’t know more about birds and that I have such a hard time discriminating bird calls, which most real birders do well. Still, part of the fun is finding a bird and then finding out about it, tracking down what it is, what its migration patterns are, what it eats.

With the new camera, I take as many photos as I can, get back to la habitacion (the room), and then begin figuring out what I was looking at. Here are the results of that exercise in “shoot first, ask questions later” from a recent visit to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Station on Punta Culebra. It includes reptiles and mammals as well as birds. Read the captions for more information, and enjoy!

The stunning crimson-backed tanager, one of at least twelve tanager species that resides in Panama. (I’ve seen five now)
A black vulture playing in the wind.
The iguana who thinks it owns the park (I’m not questioning that!).
Anteater! This little guy just posed and posed for photos. Like monkeys, they have strong tails that they use when climbing trees. We learned that while watching it climb.
The yellow-headed caracara is fairly common hawk in Panama. We see them frequently.
The elegant prothonotary warbler, a migratory species in Panama.
I love this charismatic red-headed bird. It’s a mangrove warbler, a variation on the yellow warbler.
Look closely! A female garden emerald hummingbird in flight in filtered sunshine,.
This beauty is a northern waterthrush, which lives as far north as Alaska but winters in Central America. It didn’t mind posing in spite of its long flight.
Sleeping sloths, one in a tree, one under some cactus (its thick fur protects it from spines).
Oh, and ships. The research station is at the entrance/exit of the Panama Canal. Any day at the Panama Canal is a good day!

I hope you enjoyed all of these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. For now, I’m off descubrir (to discover)!

4 thoughts on “Shoot First; Ask Questions Later”

  2. Heather, Jackie and I are enjoying your blog very much. Your passion for birding is one you’re definitely talented at and your photography is superb! Keep ’em coming!

    1. Gracias, amigo! We are having fun on our adventures, and the beautiful birds provide the art that I cannot. Wait until you see the upcoming post on Costa Rica!

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