Cerro Batipa, Panama 29Jan16

We failed to document the trip this year in Conepatus on the Great Lake, Ontario, and the canals of Canada. It was much the same as the 2012 visit to the area.

So getting on with the show, above is a King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa) photo taken as Cerro Batipa, Panama. It is rare to find one perched and in range of the camera. The photo was taken using an iPhone 6S attached to a Swarovski ATX95 scope via a Phone Skope mount. The photo has no enhancements or editing. Shot at 70X setting on the scope and 2X on the digital zoom in the phone.

I have been shooting with the scope for several weeks now using the iPhone 6S. It is an impressive combination. Prior to trying the iPhone, I have been using an Olympus SLR, OM-D E-M5. There is no comparison between the two, the 6S shoots much better photos than the M5 via a spotting scope, particularly at powers above the base of 30X on the ATX95.

The 6S autofocus works well with the scope. One sets the focus lock on the 6S to mid focus range, then you do a quick focus with the scope’s focus ring. Finally take off the 6S focus lock and let the autofocus take over. As you can see above, the focus is spot on. The interesting thing is the depth of focus available to the 6S. The subject can move almost a foot in either direction from the initial “centered focus” and still maintain focus. Amazing!

This link will take you to my Google Photos album for the Cerro Batipa trip. This is my archive and it contains full size photos with no editing or culling. There are the good, the bad and the ugly, so enjoy. If you download any for other than personal use, please credit me, Craig Owings. All are copyrighted.

Keep checking back over the next several days for more photos. The uploading is slow as many photos are BIG files, so it takes time.

Craig

 

Respringo Ranger Station, Volcan, Chiriqui, R de Panama – 19 Feb, 2015

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Sarah and our guests, Karen and Doug Dance, with a couple of other folks decided to walk the Quetzal Trail around the north side of Volcan Baru. I provided transport to the trail head and a ride back from the Volcan end of the trail.

While hanging around the ranger station on the Volcan end, I happened to get a few photos. The black guan is a bit fuzzy. I found it really hard to get a focus on that bird. So enjoy the photos and forgive the “softness”.

 

Craig

Raid in the Night

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Last night as I went out on the second story house patio, I heard a bit of commotion of an animal escaping. Of course I figured it was a feral cat, but to my surprise it was a fully grown kinkajou.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinkajou

It had decided to come up the tree next to the house, step off the limb close to the railing, walk down the railing and out to the bird feeder to raid the bananas. The “beast” was really nervy, not really caring that I was out there, or when I went back to  get the camera. The photos are shot with available light from the patio lights, so the photos are a bit noisy, but make record for the kinkajou police if needed:)

 

Craig

 

As Departure Approaches

Soon it will be time to shake off the activities of winter in Panama, and head to the States and Canada for this years adventures of Conepatus. The plan is to launch at Prince Rupert, British Columbia and cruise the northern end of British Columbia and SE Alaska as far as Haines.

Meanwhile at the farm we decided to do a bit of “digiscoping”, that is taking pictures through a spotting scope, on the Pipeline trail in Boquete, Chiriqui. We lucked out and got a few reasonable photos.

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Also did some “scoping” on the Caribbean slope of the continental divide a couple of weeks back. These are a few of those photos.

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While working on this, I did a bit of baking. Sourdough bread to die for.

Winter Hobbies in Panama

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Morning all,

While you in the north are shivering in you boots, down here in Panama we enjoy a bit of birding. Hope you enjoy the photos, as they are shot with a handheld camera, and so are not the sharpest, but still nice.

We bird here in Panama most every month with the Boquete Birders group, and of course watch the birds that come to the feeder at our house and surrounding trees.

Craig