Even if you are a wallflower or not, there are times when you want to be noticed. Everyone wants to be recognized for their accomplishments, whether personal or work related, we all need validation of what we’ve achieved. Unfortunately, we don’t always get the acknowledgement that we are hoping for and sometimes it seems as though people only notice when things go wrong. Although we should all have a sense of humility, there are times when you have to subtly bring attention to the things that you are proud of. It is human nature to want to be seen, to stand out in the crowd, perhaps even to be the center of attention at times. Maybe it isn’t just human nature, but just part of nature itself. The trees in these photos seem to be trying to grab everyone’s attention as if to say “look at me”. Perhaps we could learn a lesson from Mother Nature and learn to let ourselves stand out and accept some praise.
Pink Tree in Bloom in the AmazonBeautiful Foliage in KoblenzAspen Leaves on Snow Covered TrailMajestic Tree in EnglandColorful Tree in HeidelbergColorful Aspen GroveStanding Out in the JungleColorful Tree in Ecuador from the River
Between travel and hiking, you inevitably come across things that you just don’t see everyday. We have been fortunate enough to have seen a good variety of wildlife, but most of it has been the typical deer, elk, birds, etc. Occasionally, though, we have come across some animals that have made us stop and say to ourselves how lucky we were to see something that is a little more unique. Some of it is just because we have put ourselves in position to see something special, but a lot of it is really just a matter of luck. When we look back at all of the various wildlife we have seen in their natural habitats, we realize how lucky we have actually been.
Baby Monkey on a BranchWild TurkeysSea Lions Playing at Pier 39 in San FranciscoVine SnakeMountain GoatsBarbary MonkeyUnique Bird in BoliviaAnother Monkey in a Tree in Ecuador
We saw over 55 types of birds during our time in the Amazon Jungle. We purchased a bird and mammal spotting book at the wildlife center where we were staying and at the end of every day our nature guide would mark all of the different birds and animals that we saw during our tours. We didn’t get photographs of everything that we saw, either because the canopy was too thick to get a good picture or because we saw them so quickly that we couldn’t get our camera out and focus in time. Capturing images of the wildlife was certainly a highlight of our time in rainforest.
Hoatzin (Stinky Turkey) in a Tree above the RiverBat FalconScarlet Macaws in the JungleYellow-Rumped Cacique in Flight
The colorful macaws certainly enjoyed showing off and we were lucky enough to see four different types of macaws including the scarlet and blue and yellow macaws. We also captured a photo of a white throated toucan, but it is hard to see off in the distance. Our guides had powerful binoculars and when they found a bird, they would sometimes take a photo from our phone through the eye-piece, capturing them up close. We also used our telephoto lens, but certainly could have used a more powerful lens.
Birds following Our CanoeScarlet Macaws in FlightToucan Barely Visible (Black and White in the Center of the Photo)Colorful Wire-Tailed Manakin
One of the most common birds was called the stinky turkey by the locals and we saw them all along the river. Another common, and noisy, bird was the yellow-rumped cacique, which nested all around the grounds of the eco-lodge. Not all of the birds were colorful and some of them camouflaged themselves to blend in with the trees around them. It was quite common to see vultures circling in the sky at various times and they looked like giant black birds from the distance. There were also a lot of river birds, like the king fishers and swifts that were very graceful to watch as they surveyed the water for food. One of the special trips that we took was to a salt lick where the parrots and parakeets would gather at dawn to eat the nutrients from the muddy cliff.
Parrots and Parakeets at the Salt LickPerched on a BranchAnother HoatzinMacaws Overhead
If you plan a trip into the Amazon Rainforest, be sure to pack your camera and binoculars along with your jungle clothes. If you are willing to get up before the sun rises and stay out until the sun sets, you should be fortunate enough to see a wide variety of wildlife. With over 600 species of birds to see in the biodiverse Yasuni National Park in Ecuador, the opportunities to see unique birds can be found around almost every bend in the river.
Yellow-Rumped Cacique at SunsetUnique Bird Taking FlightCamouflaged BirdCacique on a Branch
