Tuesday 12 January 2010

A letter with excellent shots from a Alabamian birder

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On 12/01/2010,

Gil,

I was recently in Santarem and during a short shore excursion purchased your Guide (Your Personal Guide to Amazon Wildlife-Birds). This document came in very handy as even a world book did not meet our requirements in bird identification. While by sight I could closely identify birds to their counter parts in the USA, it would have been impossible to identify the species without this guide in the short time we had ashore.

Later as I read the guide I noticed the picture that you took of a boy holding a Macaw. I understand that there is a market for Macaw's, and illegal hunting/trapping surely takes place. However I was somewhat puzzled by the statement (to pay for the ammunition) What were you trying to express by the term. I could only guess that due to their size they take costly shotgun shells, or they are traded for shells for other hunting, etc.

Again this small guide served us far greater than a World Guide! And enjoyed your work and the birds of the floodplain of the Amazon. Only wish that I had had more time to sit and glass the jungle.

Sincerely yours,


William McBride, another avid birder

PS: We have a few birds here in Alabama so enjoy a couple of my pictures

Bald Eagle, photographed in North Alabama, one bird of a pair, with both State and
Federal Bands, other bird was on the nest.
Female Rubythroated Hummingbird, photographed at our house. While
cold now, we currently have a Rufous Hummingbird at a feeder, which should
be in Mexico now and Alaska in the summer

This Masked booby was photographed near the equator last year as we came
towards Brazil, I was amazed when I put the photograph on the computer and
found that it had been banded.



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