It's oppressively, depressingly hot in South Florida right now. While I'm holed up indoors I'm looking at some photos of a cool and misty place from not too long ago. Machu Picchu from last November, justifiably one of the new wonders of the world. #machupicchu #peru #inca

Overwhelmed with gratitude that I got to see and photograph the weird and wonderful Long-wattled Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger) in its rainforest haunts in western Ecuador. Absolutely otherworldly!

#birds #bird #ecuador

The impressive and intimidating Black Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus tyrannus) in the foothills of northern Costa Rica. One of several spectacular jungle eagles of the New World tropics.

#bird #birds #eagle #costarica

Just a herd of alpacas chomping alpine vegetation in the Peruvian Andes!

#landscape #andes #peru #alpaca

Here's something that's not technically a nature photo, but still something really interesting. These are the Salineras de Maras, pre-Inca salt extraction pools in the high Andes of southern Peru. Still very much in use today!
#Peru
#Inca
#Andes
#salt
#Maras

I haven't been posting here as much as I had planned, but never mind that! Here's a spectacular Andean Cock-of-the Rock from Ecuador, the flame-orange, east slope subspecies!

#birdphotography
#birds

On January 2nd this year I was finally able to get decent, eye-level photos of one of the coolest and most colorful toucans out there - the Fiery-billed Araçari (Pteroglossus frantzii)! This is a specialty bird of the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

#bird #birds #birdphotography

Here's a photo I was really excited to get in northwest Ecuador - the spectacular Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan (Andigena laminirostris).
#addBirder #birdphotography #toucan

My name is Joe Beck and I'm an amateur nature photographer. I live in south Florida, but I travel a lot in Latin America. Here is a photo of a Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas) that I recently captured in Peru!
#hummingbird #birdphotography