Bob's Travels

Here you'll find some descriptions of birding trips, with references to field guides, site guides, restaurants places to stay, along with some personal comments on what we saw, where we went, and who we met. Also, there are usually a few photographs or links to a photo site. Hopefully it's useful to others for planning their own birding trips.

2012 Trips

Costa Rica, April 13 - 25

A photo trip and class, with Glenn Bartley, assisted by Greg Basco, both well-known nature photographers and all around good guys.  We practiced multi-flash hummingbirds, macro frogs and bugs, birds on perches, use of Lightroom and Photoshop, and a bit of scenic photography.  It was my second trip to CR, so I only saw 3 lifers, but got to photograph a lot of new species.

Click here for CR images

Clear Lake, CA - April 30, July 16,17, August 17

I normally don't include local travels in this list, but photographing Clark's and Western Grebes on Clear Lake is special.  Faith Rigolosi operates "Eyes of the Wild," a pontoon boat great for photography.  I checked it out in April, and then went back in July to photograph grebe courtship activities, followed by August when the baby grebes were riding on the adult backs.  We stayed in Lakeport, and the boat leaves from the 5th street pier.  Early morning is best for lighting.

Click here for a few more images.

Colombia - August 23 - Sept 6

Another trip with photo friend Peter Hawrylyshyn, we arranged our tour with Daniel Uribe of Birding Tours Colombia covering a transect across three mountain rangess from Bogota to Medellin. We felt quite safe, the birds are spectacular, the people friendly, and Daniel is a great guide.  We photographed a lot of hummingbirds, tanagers and furanids.

Click here for Colombia images

Chile, South Georgia Island and the Falklands - Oct 10 - Nov 10

A spectacular trip with Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris, we spent two days in Santiago, Chile; flew to Stanley in the Falkland Islands; boarded our ship Ushuaia and sailed to South Georgia Island, where we spent 10 days circumnavigating, landing every day, photographing penguins, albatross, sea mammals and other wonders.  Then back to the Falklands for 3 wonderful days on some of the smaller islands, and finally to Ushuaia, Argentina and home.

Click here for Chile images, here for S. Georgia and the Falklands