THE BEST OF 2022

COLOMBIA & ECUADOR - 50 DAYS IN THE ANDES

Gray-breasted Mountain Toucan Hooded Mountain Tanager Chimborazo Hillstar Multicolored Tanager Black-billed Mountain Toucan Black-chested Mountain Tanager Blue-throated Hillstar  Black-tailed Trainbearer Ecuadorian Hillstar Purple-throated Sunangel Multicolored Tanager Velvet-purple Coronet Purple-throated Sunangel Long-tailed Sylph Rainbow Starfrontlet Golden-crowned Tanager Ocellated Tapaculo Great Sapphirewing Sapphire-vented Puffleg Blue-mantled Thornbill Blue-necked Tanager Crescent-faced Antpitta Chimborazo Hillstar Sword-billed Hummingbird Barred Fruiteater Bay-headed Tanager White-collared Swift Black-billed Mountain Toucan Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager Sining Sunbeam Sparkling Violetear Pearled Treerunner Paramo Ground Tyrant Purple-bibbed Whitetip Rainbow-bearded Thornbill Red-headed Barbet Rufous Wren Saffron-crowned Tanager Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager Pale-naped Brush Finch Speckled Hummingbird Golden-rumped Euphonia Spectacled Whitestart Spotted Barbtail Sword-billed Hummingbird Tawny Antpitta Tourmaline Sunangel Tropical Parula Tyrian Metaltail Velvet-purple Coronet Violet-tailed Sylph White-collared Swift White-throated Quail Dove White-throated Screech Owl Chimborazo Hillstar Yellow-backed Oriole Amethyst-throated Sunangel Andean Cock of the Rock Andean Motmot Bicolored Antpitta Black-backed Bush Tanager Black-billed Mountain Toucan Black-chested Mountain Tanager Black-billed Mountain Toucan Ocellated Tapaculo Black-tailed Trainbearer Red-headed Barbet Blue-mantled Thornbill Blue-throated Hillstar  Blue-winged Mountain Tanager  Booted Rackettail Brown Violetear Brown-backed Chat Tyrant Purple-throated Sunangel Rufous-capped Thornbill Violet-fronted Brilliant White-throated Screech Owl Guayaquil Woodpecker Jocotoco Antpitta Buff-winged Starfrontlet Buffy Helmetcrest Canada Warbler Chami Antpitta Chestnut Wood Quail Chestnut-capped Brush Finch Mouse-colored Thistletail Chestnut-naped Antpitta  Chimborazo Hillstar Chimborazo Hillstar Chimborazo Hillstar Collared Inca Multicolored Tanager Collared Inca Crimson-backed Tanager Crimson-mantled Woodpecker Crimson-rumped Toucanet Ecuadorian Hillstar Equatorial Antpitta Flame-rumped Tanager Flame-throated ("Little") Sunangel Golden Tanager Golden-crowned Tanager Golden-naped Tanager Gray-breasted Mountain Toucan Great Sapphirewing Greenish Puffleg Gray-browed Brush Finch Hepatic Tanager Inca Jay Indigo Flowerpiercer Lacrimose Mountain Tanager Little Tinamou Long-tailed Sylph Masked Mountain Tanager Mountain Velvetbreast Vicuna Vicuna MEXICO After a brief rest at home, and after leading my annual Vancouver Island workshops, it was time to pack my bags again. Trip #2 this year was to Oaxaca, Mexico. It is an area I’ve been wanting to visit for a while and the birds (and the food) definitely did not disappoint!!   Orange-breasted Bunting Rose-bellied Bunting Red Warbler Chestnut-sided Shrike Vireo White-throated Jay Gray Silky Flycatcher Blue-capped "Oaxaca" Hummingbird Red-breasted Chat Red-headed Tanager Russet-crowned Motmot Red Warbler Orange-breasted Bunting Ocellated Thrasher Gray-breasted Woodpecker Red Warbler Orange-breasted Bunting White-throated Magpie Jay Golden-browed Warbler Collared Towhee Colima Pygmy Owl Golden-cheeked Woodpecker Crescent-chested Warbler Lesser Roadrunner White-throated Jay Citreoline Trogon Gray-breasted Woodpecker Crescent-chested Warbler Gray-crowned Woodpecker Happy Wren White-throated Jay Long-tailed Wood Partridge  Slaty Vireo Lesser Roadrunner Mottled Owl Mountain Trogon Oaxaca Sparrow Rose-bellied Bunting Olive Warbler White-throated Magpie Jay Orange-breasted Bunting Pale-billed Woodpecker Red Warbler Rose-bellied Bunting Rose-throated Becard Rufous-capped Brush Finch Rufous-capped Warbler Russet Nightengale Thrush Stripe-headed Sparrow Turquoise-crowned Hummingbird Rose-bellied Bunting   Green-fronted Hummingbird West Mexican Chachalaca White-eared Hummingbird White-throated Magpie Jay White-throated Towhee Blue-capped "Oaxaca" Hummingbird Boucard's Wren Bridled Sparrow Brown-backed Solitaire Orange-breasted Bunting   Buff-collared Nightjar Rose-bellied Bunting Cinnamon Hummingbird Cinnamon-tailed Sparrow Collared Towhee Curve-billed Thrasher Dusky Hummingbird Fan-tailed Warbler Giant Wren Golden-browed Warbler Golden-cheeked Woodpecker Golden-fronted Woodpecker Grey-barred Wren Gray-breasted Woodpecker Red Warbler Colima Pygmy Owl Crescent-chested Warbler   Golden-browed Warbler Lesser Roadrunner Ocellated Thrasher Olive Warbler Orange-breasted Bunting Red Warbler Red-breasted Chat Rose-bellied Bunting Rose-throated Becard Turquoise-crowned Hummingbird Wagler's Toucanet White-throated Magpie Jay CROSS CANADA Before the pandemic began, I bought a little travel camping trailer. The plan in 2020 was to drive out to Ontario where it was being built and pick it up and then drive home. Well…that didn’t happen… Finally, this year I was able to go and collect my trailer. Once again, I spent about 7 weeks on the road trying to find as many great birds from Vancouver Island to Ontario and back again. I love road trips like this so much. As much as I love international travel and seeing all of the exotic birds, I love a good ol’ Canadian road trip just as much.   Blackburnian Warbler Blue-winged Teal Burrowing Owl Green-winged Teal Canada Warbler Scarlet Taneger Canvasback Winter Wren Bay-breasted Warbler Chestnut-collared Longspur Western Meadowlark Gadwall Northern Shoveler Blackburnian Warbler Ruby-throated Hummingbird Black-throated Blue Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Ruby-throated Hummingbird Northern Shoveler Cerulean Warbler Ruddy Duck Mourning Warbler Upland Sandpiper Blue-winged Teal Canada Warbler Loggerhead Shrike Horned Grebe Blue Jay  Blue-winged Teal Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird Red-eyed Vireo Burrowing Owl Rose-breasted Grosbeak  Canada Warbler Canvasback  Blackburnian Warbler Canvasback Cape May Warbler  Cerulean Warbler  Clay-colored Sparrow Common Nighthawk Eared Grebe Eastern Kingbird Redhead Northern Shoveler Blue-winged Teal Gadwall Blue-winged Teal Blue-winged Teal Canvasback Canvasback Green-winged Teal Long-billed Curlew Northern Parula  Ovenbird Ruby-throated Hummingbird Tennessee Warbler Wilson's Phalarope Winter Wren Yellow-headed Blackbird Blackburnian Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Golden-winged Warbler  Canada Warbler Cape May Warbler Eared Grebe  Horned Grebe Mourning Warbler Northern Shoveler Grasshopper Sparrow Grey Catbird Canvasback Greater Scaup  Green-winged Teal  Horned Grebe Indigo Bunting Ovenbird Northern Parula Black-throated Blue Warbler Lark Sparrow Canvasback Lazuli Bunting Least Flycatcher  Canvasback  Loggerhead Shrike Long-billed Curlew Magnolia Warbler  Mourning Warbler Northern Parula  Northern Shoveler  Bobolink Northern Waterthrush  Red-eyed Vireo Redhead  Ruby-throated Hummingbird  Sprague's Pipit  Tennessee Warbler  Western Wood Pewee  Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Black Tern Loggerhead Shrike Cerulean Warbler Black and White Warbler Blue-winged Teal PAPUA NEW GUINEA While I was in Mexico with my friend in April, we decided it was time to visit Papua New Guinea. Maybe we had had a tequila too many? I’m don’t remember. All I know is that a plan was hatched and as September approached, I was packing my bags for yet another monster 7-week trip!   Ribbon-tailed Astrapia Stella's Lorikeet Rufous-bellied Kookaburra Red-collared Myzomella Brown Sicklebill Barred Owlet Nightjar Wattled Ploughbill Hooded Pitta Blue-capped Ifrit (This bird is poisonous!) Yellow-faced Myna Red-cheeked Parrot Flame Bowerbird Frilled Monarch White-shouldered Fairywren Yellow-billed Kingfisher White-bibbed Fruit Dove Papuan Logrunner Lesser Bird of Paradise Brehm's Tiger Parrot Lesser Bird of Paradise Barking Owl Crimson Finch Belford's Melidectes Black Sitella Black-breasted Boatbill Blythe's Hornbill Brown Sicklebill Brown-headed Paradise Kingfisher Comb-crested Jacana Common Smoky Honeyeater Common Smoky Honeyeater (This bird can change it's face colour!) Common Paradise Kingfisher Emperor Fairywren Flame Bowerbird Great-billed Mannikin Helmeted Friarbird Hooded Mannikin Hooded Pitohui (This bird is also poisonous!) King of Saxony Bird of Paradise Hook-billed Kingfisher Blue-capped Ifrit Grey-headed Mannikin Torresian Imperial Pigeon Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise Wandering Whistling Duck Wattled Ploughbill Yellow-billed Kingfisher Yellow-browed Melidictes Palm Cockatoo Papuan Flycatcher Papuan Frogmouth Emperor Fairywren Papuan Grassbird Comb-crested Jacana Papuan Logrunner Papuan Mountain Pigeon Black Mannikin Papuan Pitta Papuan Treecreeper Pied Heron Long-billed Honeyeater Marbled Frogmouth Pink-spotted Fruit Dove Plumed Whistling Duck Plum-faced Lorikeet Raja Shell Duck Red-collared Myzomella Regent Whistler Royal Spoonbill Sacred Kingfisher Slaty Robin Southern Crowned Pigeon Starry Owlet Nightjar Torrent Fly Robin Dollarbird Ornate Melidectes Tit Berrypecker Australasian Swamphen Comb-crested Jacana Brown-headed Paradise Kingfisher Red-collared Myzomella AUSTRALIA On the way home from Papua New Guinea my flight route went through Australia. Now it would be silly to fly through Australia and not photograph a few birds wouldn’t it? I thought so and decided to spend a few weeks in Queensland enjoying some of the stunning birds Australia has to offer.   Noisy Pitta Paradise Riflebird Red-backed Fairywren Superb Fairywren Satin Bowerbird Blue-faced Honeyeater Australian King Parrot Regent Bowerbird Crimson Rosella Rainbow Bee-eater Rainbow Lorikeet Rufous Whistler Purple-backed Fairywren Regent Bowerbird Paradise Riflebird Rainbow Bee-eater Mistletoebird Australian Brush Turkey Red-backed Fairywren Australian Figbird Australian King Parrot Australian Logrunner Bar-shouldered Dove Beach Stone Curlew Blue-faced Honeyeater Brown Honeyeater Common Bronzewing Crested Pigeon Crimson Rosella Eastern Whipbird Eastern Yellow Robin Galah Laughing Kookaburra Lewin's Honeyeater Little Corella Regent Bowerbird White-throated Treecreeper Magpie Lark Maned Duck Australian Logrunner Masked Lapwing Noisy Friarbird Australian Logrunner Pale-headed Rosella Paradise Riflebird Blue-faced Honeyeater Rainbow Lorikeet Red-backed Fairywren Red-browed Firetail Regent Bowerbird Rufous Fantail Satin Bowerbird Southern Boobook Striated Pardalote Sulpher-crested Cockatoo Superb Fairywren White-headed Pigeon White-throated Honeyeater  COSTA RICA & PANAMA To finish up this crazy year I headed down to Costa Rica and Panama to lead two final workshops for the year. Both were absolutely fantastic!! I'm really happy to have Panama as a new tour on our roster. It's a great country for bird photography and I look forward to taking more groups again soon. As always, when guiding I dont shoot that much. But here are a few images I did manage on the two tours...   Flame-throated Warbler Scintillant Hummingbird Fiery-throated Hummingbird Talamanca Hummingbird Crested Oropendola Panamanian Night Monkey Olingo Broad-billed Motmotr Black-breasted Puffbird Blue Cotinga Howler Monkey Kinkajou Golden-headed Manakinr Harpy Eagle Harpy Eagle Harpy Eagle American Pygmy Kingfisher Roseate Spoonbill Turquoise-browed Motmot Purple-throated Mountain Gem Pale-billed Woodpecker Black-crested Coquette Red-legged Honeycreeper Keel-billed Toucan Chestnut-colored Woodpecker It has been a crazy, wild, exhausting, amazing year. Definitely the most productive and exciting of my photography career. I think it needed to be busy after all that time of from the Pandemic. I don’t want to be away from home quite as much in 2023. But with that said I still have a full slate of photo workshops and a few fun personal shoots in the works. Let’s keep the good times rolling! Check back often for the latest news and images. You can stay tuned to all the latest news by signing up for my newsletter - HERE