Fiery Throated Hummingbird (Panterpe insignis)
Observed in Paraiso Quetzal, near San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica (2014).
Chosen by National Geographic as Pic of The Day (14 Aug 2014), in The Great Natu...
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Observed in Paraiso Quetzal, near San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica (2014).
Chosen by National Geographic as Pic of The Day (14 Aug 2014), in The Great Nature Project:
http:--greatnatureproject.org-collections
Read less
Chosen by National Geographic as Pic of The Day (14 Aug 2014), in The Great Nature Project:
http:--greatnatureproject.org-collections
Read less
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Behind The Lens
Location
In April, 2014 I was in Costa Rica with my husband, Mak, and we decided to spend a few days in the mountainside near Cerro de La Muerte. In the area of San Gerardo De Dota you have the chance to see the Fiery-Throated Hummingbird (Panterpe insignis). The lodges have the nice habit to place sugar feeders near the lodge and each day you can see these little birds by the hundreds in there. In spite of looking fragile, the males of this species are actually quite territorial and don't hesitate to chase away hummingbirds of an even bigger size (and usually less aggressive than them). They protect both their females and their food source, hence the name "fiery".Time
This picture was made in the morning, little after the sunrise.Lighting
Nothing special. You can see the conditions I used below. Morning light with a sunny day are very nice conditions if you are at the top of the valleys.Equipment
I am a humble amateur photographer so I make most of my pics with my Olympus SP-820UZ. The conditions of this pic were: f/5.4 10/1000s ISO320 54.6mmInspiration
The reflection of light and the colors in the feathers of these little birds were a sight I wanted to never forget and this was the best way for me to immortalize it in my memory and share it with others as well :-)Editing
Not much. I just cropped the picture in Photoshop to better show the bird and less of the background but otherwise it still has the same features as the original.In my camera bag
Just my Olympus.Feedback
If you go to the area of Paraiso de Los Quetzales not only you will find many opportunities to photograph beautiful hummingbirds from close but also other impressive birds such as the quetzals. With patience you will also find these.
