Uploads from Paul B Jones, tagged ara, with geodata

Blue-and-yellow Macaw Flying - Canon 400mm f4 DO Lens

nobody@flickr.com (Paul B Jones) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:46:37 -0700

Blue-and-yellow Macaws are one of the larger members of the parrot family. They can reach 85 centimetres (34 inches) in length and weigh up to 1.5 kilograpms (3.3 pounds). They live in forest and open woodland from Central America (Panama) south to Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. They mate for life and make their nests in tree holes. Their beaks are very strong and are used to crush palm nuts and other food.

Macaws are very social birds, flying about in pairs and then joining together in larger flocks - all the time calling raucously. This photograph was taken with Canon's 400mm f4 DO lens at the Barba Azul Nature Reserve in Bolivia's Beni Savannah country.

The macaws are common in the reserve and as the sun set on our first evening several hundred streamed overhead to a nearby roosting area. In addition to being gregarious the birds were also very curious, zooming in from afar and circling close over our heads to have a look at us.

A full report on our expedition is available here:

www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=2062

This is a video tracing the path of our adventure:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4h4tm7SBV8

Blue-throated Macaw - Paraba Barba Azul

nobody@flickr.com (Paul B Jones) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:43:40 -0700

Paul B Jones posted a photo:

Bolivia's Barba Azul Nature Reserve protects 46 km2 of grassland, river edge and palm forest. It is set amongst a much larger expanse of similar but heavily grazed habitat. The location’s key attraction is the critically endangered Paraba Barba Azul – the Blue-fronted Macaw. A recently discovered group at the reserve represents a sizable chunk of the 350 remaining wild individuals.

Military Macaw - Ara militaris

nobody@flickr.com (Paul B Jones) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:11:49 -0700

Paul B Jones posted a photo:

We saw seven species of Macaw on our bird watching trip through Bolivia. This one, Military Macaw, was part of a flock of six seen on the Mirador Trail at the Los Volcanes Refuge near Santa Cruz.

Red-fronted Macaw - Paraba Frente Roja

nobody@flickr.com (Paul B Jones) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:49:30 -0700

Paul B Jones posted a photo:

The Red-fronted Macaw is native to a small mountainous area of south-central Bolivia situated about 200 km west of Santa Cruz, in the department of the same name, where the climate is medium altitude semi-desert. The natural vegetation consists mostly of cactus (large and small) and thorny trees and scrub. The climate is semi-arid with cold nights and hot days. Rain comes in infrequent heavy storms. It is unusual in that it is the only macaw to inhabit such a climatic zone. Most macaws nest in holes in large trees, however here there are no very large trees in its range so it nests in vertical fissures in cliff faces. The bird has been captured for the pet trade in the past and killed by local farmers because it raids their crops. - Wikipedia

Red-fronted Macaw - Paraba Frente Roja

nobody@flickr.com (Paul B Jones) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:45:54 -0700

Paul B Jones posted a photo:

The sun set behind a mountain and the light immediately turned from golden to blue. By really pushing the ISO on the camera and noise suppression in post-processing I was still able to get an image I liked.

Blue-throated Macaw - Paraba Barba Azul

nobody@flickr.com (Paul B Jones) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:40:53 -0700

Paul B Jones posted a photo:

The key attraction at Bolivia's Barba Azul Nature Reserve is the critically endangered Paraba Barba Azul – the Blue-fronted Macaw.

Only 350 of these beautiful birds are still flying free in the wild. Armonía, a Bolivian conservation organization, is engaged in an heroic effort to save the species.

www.armonia-bo.org/english/acerca/

In our four day stay at the reserve our Barba Azul daily high count was 30, we had 76 sightings in total.

A full report on our trip is available here:

www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=2062

Here is a video of the expedition:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4h4tm7SBV8

Blue-throated Macaw - Paraba Barba Azul

nobody@flickr.com (Paul B Jones) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:38:22 -0700

Paul B Jones posted a photo:

The world population of the critically endangered Paraba Barba Azul - the Blue-fronted Macaw - is approximately 350 birds. Armonía, a Bolivian conservation organization, is engaged in an heroic effort to save the species.

www.armonia-bo.org/english/acerca/

A recently discovered group at Bolivia's Barba Azul Nature Reserve represents a sizable proportion of the remaining wild individuals.

www.birdbolivia.com/Barba Azul Nature Reserve.html

A full report on our expedition to Bolivia is available here:

www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=2062

Here is a video of our trip:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4h4tm7SBV8

Red-fronted Macaw - Paraba Frente Roja

nobody@flickr.com (Paul B Jones) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 08:13:12 -0700

Paul B Jones posted a photo:

The last stop on our tour with Bird Bolivia was the Red-fronted Macaw Nature Reserve. Located on the dry slopes of the Andes, the Reserve protects an important nesting and feeding area for its critically endangered namesake.

The world population of this bird is approximately 1,000. In our four days at the Reserve we were fortunate to have almost 100 sightings of them.

Red-fronted Macaw - Paraba Frente Roja

nobody@flickr.com (Paul B Jones) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:51:44 -0700

Paul B Jones posted a photo:

Bolivia's Red-fronted Macaw Nature Reserve protects the cliff roosting site of this beautiful, critically endangered bird. At dawn the macaws leave the rock wall to forage in the surrounding valleys. In the late afternoon/early evening they return to the cliff to spend the night, providing fantastic photographic opportunities.

Beyond the macaws, the reserve is more generally a great place for photography. We did a fair bit of birding but if I was to concentrate more heavily on camera work I would stay at the main lodge from sunrise until 10am, documenting the local songbirds. At four in the afternoon I would head to the cliff top and wait until the light was gone, hoping to secure images. There are many amazing pictures waiting up there.

A full report on our trip is available here:

www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=2062

Here is a video of the expedition:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4h4tm7SBV8

Red-fronted Macaw - Paraba Frente Roja

nobody@flickr.com (Paul B Jones) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:51:30 -0700

Paul B Jones posted a photo:

While we were still reeling from our close Condor encounter, our guide Sandro suddenly called out “Macaws coming in!” With the sun just above the ridgeline we desperately tried to acquire targets and lock focus, cameras clattering as a surge of returning pairs raced by. It was a huge amount of fun and if our skill matched our equipment we would have had National Geographic covers.

Red-fronted Macaw - Paraba Frente Roja

nobody@flickr.com (Paul B Jones) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:46:45 -0700

Paul B Jones posted a photo:

On the cliff above the nature reserve two Red-fronted Macaws settled on a cactus. Consistent with our Bird Bolivia guide Sandro’s information, I was able to closely approach them. As the sun dipped behind a mountain I cranked the ISO and, choking on the dust of a transport truck rumbling by, secured a few final images.

Red-fronted Macaw - Paraba Frente Roja

nobody@flickr.com (Paul B Jones) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:42:05 -0700

Paul B Jones posted a photo:

Fewer than a thousand of these beautiful birds are still flying free in the wild. Armonía, a Bolivian conservation organization, is engaged in an heroic effort to save the species.

www.armonia-bo.org/english/acerca/