On a recent trip to Costa Rica, I had the pleasure of spending time with some avian friends who seemed quite relaxed about having their photos taken. The results make me crave a decent telephoto lens.

The photos that follow were from a couple of days in the area of Volcan Arenal, which had annoying gone dormant a year before my arrival.

This little guy seemed a bit distracted, so I had more time to take his picture.

Every time this fellow tried to make any headway at a feeding station, he was chased off by the whack-jobs known as the Montezuma Oropendula.

Patience is a virtue and he was extremely patient with me.

The whack jobs themselves. I am still working on capturing movement.

Vultures are everywhere down there. I liked the contrast against the cloud. There’s something both ominous and majestic to me about these birds.

I wish I’d gotten a better shot of this fellow–his plummage was gorgeous–but he was not very patient, spent a lot of time moving through branches, and I was losing my light.