Photo Stories of Animal Encounters

COSTA RICA

In December 2018 Joan traveled to Costa Rica in search of the resplendent quetzal and other amazing birds such as macaws, toucans and toucanets. She encountered sloths and iguanas as well. Visit Alejandro to see Joan's punk rendition of the quetzal.

Blossom Pika
Toucan Thief

While eating lunch at an open air restaurant, Joan witnessed the thievery of a keel-billed toucan. See Diego as a painting.

BALD EAGLE FAMILY OF FERRISBURGH

Eagles in 2019

Huge Eagle Nest
Their Nest

Eagles in 2020

There is a huge nest in Ferrisburgh, Vermont that is inhabited each spring by a bald eagle couple. It sits high up in a tree far from the road on protected land so that you cannot get close. Joan first saw the nest a few years ago. She went back in 2019 and 2020 to photograph each year's eaglets until they fledged.

POLAR BEARS OF CHURCHILL

The Polar Bears

The Dog Sled Ride

Joan traveled to Churchill on the shore of the Hudson Bay in Canada in November, 2019 in hopes of photographing the polar bears just before the ice froze and they headed out for the winter to catch seals. The bears were curious and entertaining. The temperature fell to -40 degrees. The bears had no problem rolling around and scooting on the ice in the exceptionally cold temperatures. It was a magical trip topped off with a dog sled ride. Watch the video.

GREAT HORNED OWLS

KINGBIRD FAMILY

RUBY THROATED HUMMERS

Great Horned Owls

Kingbird Family

Mama Ruby

In the pandemic spring of 2020, when we all had to stay close to home, it was local birds that caught Joan's attention and forced her to keep adding longer lenses to her photo equipment. She started with a 600 lens for the Great Horned Owls, added a 1.4x converter and then went for a 2.0x converter to capture the eagles and hummers.

PHOTO STORIES OF ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS -- CLOSE TO HOME AND FAR AWAY