It's been a riotous and hectic year, even with the extra day I still feel like I need an extra hour or two in the day. Every day. As we sit on the cusp of the final month of 2024, I juggle guiding, writing, and a feeble attempt to enter a photography competition or two. At least my calendars have already been printed! If you haven't grabbed yours yet, you can reserve a copy using this link. I'll be posting international orders next week so please be swift!
If you're following this blog and noticing that I haven't really been posting much about birding adventures, that's because most of them are going on 10,000 Birds.
This year has found me in a couple major tourism events as well, from the mecca of them all in the form of the ITB Berlin in March to the birding equivalent Global Birdfair in July. I've learned so much from attending these events, and much gratitude goes out to the German Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago and Birding the Islands for facilitating and arranging the respective trips. It is my hope to use this knowledge to help raise the standard of ecotourism in T&T - but I remain open to working elsewhere as well.
Us in T&T are a belligerent bunch, so it's been admittedly difficult - but our recon trip to the Solomon Islands has proven fruitful, our suggestions have been taken in good stride and we should be returning to that fascinating South Pacific archipelago next year.
My last trip took me to Costa Rica, a destination that has been on my radar for many years. I was invited to the legendary Rancho Naturalista and had an absolutely fantastic time photographing the birds around the lodge as well as on some of their set tours. I am completely thankful for people like Lisa Erb of Rancho Naturalista for having faith in what I can supply.
This year has also seen a partnership develop with Toronto-based company Feather Friendly, supplier of bird collision deterrents. Each year, migratory birds die in obscene proportions as a result of flying into glass windows. Unable to detect that they are looking at a reflection, they never see it coming. As newly appointed ambassador for this company, I can now help to spread the word in the Caribbean region in the hope of securing the birds' passage throughout their migratory route. In fact, such is the gravity of the problem that the winning image for the most prestigious global bird photography competition is of an artfully arranged assortment of around four thousand dead birds - all victims of window collisions in Toronto.
All that I continue to do is for the birds, for the trees, for the survival of not only our planet but also for our species. It remains my pleasure to convince people to slow down, enjoy boundless natural beauty, and do simple things that have far-reaching consequences; a little bit here and there is never not useful. Sure, we must also continue to resist the forces who sit behind positions and appointments who are seeking to put their exploitative hands on virgin territory as well - but individual action cannot be understated.
Thank you for reading this little update on what's been happening this year with me on a personal level. I've been trying to write on this blog more regularly and will likely return here in a couple of weeks to share some highlights from 2024 in picture form. In the meanwhile, please enjoy a few recent images from Costa Rica.
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