It is always risky to count on seeing a rare bird on any given trip. Missing the bird can put a damper on a fabulous trip. Fiery Topaz is notoriously tough to see, but we had a chance to visit a lek for this spectacular hummer. After a short motorized canoe ride, we walked across our generous host's property and climbed an observation tower. Adding to the tension is this bird's habit of not showing up until it is nearly dark. So we waited, and waited.....and waited as it got darker. Our guide Nelson mentioned something about "looking like we were going to miss it (dip on it); he finally said "six more minutes." As we were packing up to leave, suddenly....THERE IT WAS....right where it was supposed to be, just fashionably late! Not only was this the "bird of the trip," it was one of the highlights of my birding life.
These photos were taken with a Canon R5 Digital Camera with a 100-500mm zoom lens.
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