The other day on a whim I decided that I needed to get some pictures of a Blue Throated Macaw in flight. So I jumped on the next flight out to the Pantanal in Bolivia in order to try and get some good images. Here are a few of the photos that I was able to make.
OK that first part was a total lie, sorry about that. The truth is I was at an art show when another artist came by and asked me if I wanted to photograph her bird. Which she told me was a Blue Throated Macaw that she had trained to free fly very much like a falconer flies a falcon. Well I have to say I was more than a little skeptical, but since I was going to be within twenty minutes of her home in a few weeks I figured what do I have to lose. Fast forward two weeks and I find myself in a field being introduced to “Ingrid”.
After introductions my new friend asks if I am ready to see Ingrid fly. When I say yes she announces, reeeeady, seeet, GO, and Ingrid launches into the sky (part of me is certain that Ingrid is heading back to Bolivia) but she just circles around us keeping my friend within sight the whole time. After a few trips around she lands back on my friends arm, anxiously waiting her chance to do it again, which she does over and over, always returning to my friends arm, or shoulder, or head, or back. After the initial shock wore off I was able to focus on the task at hand and managed to get some good images of this amazing bird.