Getting Back to Business

Hello world!

I can't believe that my last blog post was "A few fall photos...", nearly 5 months ago!  It has been a long winter in many ways, and I haven't spent much time thinking about blogs or Facebook or photos.  Although the winter is typically a slow season for me, especially from a photography standpoint (a major challenge of specializing in reptiles, amphibians and bugs), it has been punctuated by some exciting things!  I co-lead my first tour for Eagle Eye Tours (a hunt for endemic birds in Central Mexico), and had a great time delivering presentations for the Toronto Field Naturalists, the Flamborough Probus Club, the Royal Botanical Gardens Docents and Nature Guelph.  I also just recently had an image published in Ontario Nature magazine, attached to a great article about the Long Point Causeway Improvement Project (p.7)!

As the weather warms (sort of) I'm trying to get back on top of things, in preparation for the return of the migrants and the emergency of all the scaly, slimy and crawly things that I love.  I've been working on a few odds and ends, such as:

• Updating my Upcoming Presentations page.

• Refurbishing my long-dormant Flickr profile.

• Taking the plunge into the strange, new world of 500px.

Today I even edited a few photos from my giant pile!  Here are a trio from last summer that never saw the light of day:

Violet Dancer (Argia fumipennis violacea)

Violet Dancer (Argia fumipennis violacea)

Powdered Dancer (Argia moesta)

Now all I need is for Spring to arrive, and I'll be all set to go!  Getting a bit impatient...

Kyle

Today's the day!

Ok, so I'm definitely a bit stressed out about my impending departure (6:50pm today!), but also excited to get going!  The bags are all packed and final preparations are underway.  The trip schedule is as follows:

Jan 9-Feb 12 - Mananara Lodge, Madagascar.  Possibly some additional traveling in MG.
Feb 12-Feb21 - Capetown, South Africa and surrounding area
Feb 21-Mar 12 - Kruger National Park, South Africa and surrounding area

I have been so busy getting ready that I haven't had much time to edit the photos from the Dominican Republic, but here are a couple that I did quickly:

Palmchat (Dulus dominicus) - the national bird of the DR

Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres)

I will do my best to post updates when I can, but I'm not sure when I will have internet access in Africa.

Onward and upward!
Kyle

Going to Africa!

I haven't been posting much recently (sorry!), mostly because I have been busy with work, and also planning a pretty major journey for this winter.  As of January 9, I will be off to Africa!  More info to come, but in the meantime here's a map with the intended route:


View Madagascar/South Africa in a larger map

You can drag and zoom the map to get a better look, and click on the icons for descriptions.  It is a bit easier to deal with if you click the link below the map for the larger version!

Getting pretty excited!!

Kyle

Happy New Year!

Hello!

Yet another photo-less post, I know.  Things have been busy, what can I say?  But it will all change shortly!  I have been invited to join a trip to Cuba and help out with some bird ID and other things.  We leave in 4 days and stay for 8.  I am really hoping to spend a solid amount of time taking pictures!

We will be staying near Santa Cruz del Norte for most of the trip, with a special tour to Zapata Swamp (home of such exciting endemics as Zapata Sparrow, Zapata Wren, Zapata Rail, Cuban Crocodile and others).  See the following map for an idea of the geography (A is where we are staying , B is the swamp).


View Larger Map

Fingers crossed for exciting things!  I will not have internet access during the trip, but will post some photos upon return.

Cheers!
Kyle

Wintertime!

Hello!

Oh the woes of a macro photographer in winter.  Where have all the little critters gone?  Hibernation, thou hast robbed me of my subjects.  How cruel.

Photography always seems to be a bit slow in the winter, which leaves me a little short on blog updates.  Perhaps I will have to expand my horizons.

On the positive side, winter birds are in!  Did a couple of Christmas Bird Counts over the weekend and had some success.  Highlights include 1 Northern Goshawk, 1 Bald Eagle, 2 Rough-legged Hawks, 2 Red-bellied Woodpeckers, 3 Eastern Bluebirds, 70 Wild Turkeys, and 665 Bohemian Waxwings.  It's like my own little version of the 12 days of Christmas.  I never was very good at counting...

On another positive note, I'm headed to Cuba early in the new year.  That should keep my itchy trigger finger happy for a little while.  More to come on that later.

Happy Holidays!
Kyle

Finally Some Photos!

Hello!

I have finally gained a bit of momentum on the photo front - the first installment of Costa Rica photos are uploaded to the website.  Have a look at them here: http://www.kylehorner.com/costarica.php.  I'm hoping this momentum will keep me rolling as there are many more to upload.  Some will look familiar as they have been posted on the blog in a preliminary form, but others (especially the Tortuguero and Corcovado ones) should be new.  Also I have prioritized posting the photos over identification, so many of the species are not fully ID'd - all in due time.

Cheers!
Kyle

From Costa Rica!

Hello!

I have officially made it to Costa Rica!  It has been a long day - about 15 hours of journeying - but I am here and well.  Much time spent on the plane, where I got seated next to a baby and a two-year-old.  There was much screaming, crying and seat-kicking.  Plus whatever sounds the children were making.  Actually they were pretty well behaved, I can't complain.

Already Costa Rica has caught me a bit by surprise.  Having visited other Latin-American countries I had an image in my head of what I expected.  In contrast to those other countries, in which there is often an air of poverty and wanting, the Ticos seem to be quite well off.  The people here wear fashionable clothes and drive shiny new cars.  The roads are in good shape and there are motorcycles everywhere.  The bikes carry no more than two people and the riders even wear helmets!  The one thing it shares with the rest of Latin-America (as I have experienced it) is scary-as-hell driving.  Whoever designed the traffic system needs a good shake, and the drivers don't make it any better.  The most popular motorcycle is a tiny 150cc model, and lanesplitting is completely accepted as a legitimate traffic maneuver.  But as long as you close your eyes when on the road all is well (hey, it works for the drivers).

I am now sitting in the rooftop bar of Hostel Pangea, enjoying a beer and waiting on some food.  This place is something else - sure some hostels have nice bars and restaurants, but this one also boasts a swimming pool, free WiFi and a host of other amenities, all for $10/night.  This is the view from the bar:

I will be up and out of here before 6am tomorrow to get the bus to Monteverde, which I'm hoping is simple.  After several days of minimal sleep and this day full of travel, I am more than ready to be at my destination.  My next update will hopefully be from there, though I'm not entirely sure when that will be.

Oh, and for all of you wondering about my first trip-bird (that is, both of you - you know who you are), it was a Great Egret seen from the plane on the way into San Salvador.

Hope everyone is well!
Kyle

Departure Looms

Hello!

The time is drawing near for my Costa Rica departure.  I am finally getting things together and preparing to go.  I leave early Thursday morning and fly into San Jose, with a short stopover in San Salvador.  I will be spending Thursday night in a hostel in San Jose, then catching the 4.5 hour bus to Santa Elena early the next morning.  Then a half-hour walk with all of my gear and I will arrive at my destination.  Should be quite an adventure!

To get an idea where exactly I'm headed, have a look at this Google Map:

View Larger Map

I can't believe that what seemed like an eternity away is now just the day after tomorrow!  The next post I make should be from Costa Rica.

Until then,
Kyle