Tired of the typical end-of-year articles congratulating the holidays and taking stock of the year? Yes, I am too. That's why I prefer to close out 2018 by making a short, very short list of the five animals I want to photograph in 2019: My 5 challenges for 2019Want to know what those 5 animals are? Just keep reading.
It's hard to choose just one 5 animals so that they constitute my list of challenges for the year 2019In fact, this list started with more than 15 different candidates. They say that man is the only animal that trips twice over the same stone. From my past mistakes, I've learned that it's better to narrow down the list of projects and trips I want to undertake.
Firstly, because imposing too many projects on yourself can be counterproductive. stress The effort to carry out everything planned can be brutal. Keep in mind that wildlife observation isn't something you can just write down in a diary. We can't make an appointment to photograph lynxes on March 3rd at 10 a.m. as if we were going to the dentist. It's not sensible to pressure ourselves like that. So it's better to reduce the list of projects to a few relatively "achievable" ones. Those projects that are truly specials.
And secondly, because neither time nor resources are inexhaustible. If we want to complete a decent photography project, it's best to discard all those "crazy dreams," mega-projects, and impossible trips. I admit it. Dreaming of a two-month trip through the Yukon in search of giant bears is tempting... very tempting... but we probably won't have the time or the money for it. Spending time planning trips we can't take will ultimately drain our enthusiasm and mental energy.
So... Do you want to know which 5 animals I'll be focusing on in 2019?
Yes friends, enters fully and in first position an old acquaintance of the project lists for the new year. The wolf It was on my list of projects in 2018 and 2017. Although in reality my story with this super predator European began in 2016.
At that time I was visiting a national park in search of birds of prey and large mammals. I had no hope of seeing wolves. And it was by pure chance that I heard a little howling herd while I was trying my hand at night photography.
In 2017 we participated in the talks and conferences on the European wolf that were held in the Bialowieza National ParkWe weren't lucky enough to see any wolves, but we still had the intense experience of hearing a pack of wolves howling while we walked under the full moon.
In 2018, I had another opportunity to spot wolves, which ultimately turned out to be a wonderful experience in the Madrid mountains. Spotting the continent's apex predator in its natural habitat is very difficult, but I hope to do so in 2019. It will be an experience I will share with all of you on this blog.
Another of the 5 animals that make my list for 2019. The white-tailed eagle It is by far the largest marine bird of prey. Difficult to observe on the Iberian coast, it is a bird that is widely distributed throughout northern Europe. Its habitat is very wide and varied, stretching from the forested coasts of Scotland and Scandinavia to the inland lakes of the Balkans.
I've been chasing this beautiful bird, the European version of the American bald eagle, for a couple of years now, and I have a strong feeling that I'll get to photograph it in 2019.
It is true, the Iberian lynx It's one of the most endangered species in the world. It's difficult to observe in the wild, and even more difficult to photograph. But I won't give up. The Iberian lynx is at the top of my list of challenges for 2019. And if I don't manage to photograph the Iberian lynx, I'm sure I'll have another chance to spot a boreal lynx like the one in the photo on one of my trips around Europe.
He boreal lynx It is a less endangered species whose habitat extends across the north of the European continent, from the French Alps to the Russian taiga. In 2017, I found a trail of footprints of this beautiful and secretive animal in the Biebrza National Park and since then it's been on my most wanted list.
He osprey It is one of the species of vultures that we can find in the Peninsula. And specifically, it is the last on the list of the 4 species of Iberian vultures that I still have to photograph after our experience in a hide, where to find us black vultures, griffon vultures and Egyptian vultures.
I'm almost certain I'll encounter this species on one of my trips through the Aragonese Pyrenees in the first half of 2019. And it will be an experience you'll of course find on this blog in a few weeks.
In fifth place, but no less important... the musk ox. This will be the journey most special and spectacular of 2019. We will reach the interior of the Arctic Circle to observe these prehistoric animals that were on the verge of extinction in the last century.
The musk ox is one of the species most affected by climate change. Musk ox populations have been declining over the past few decades, and only conservation efforts and the reintroduction of semi-wild animals have saved what seemed like an ecological disaster.
You'll have the opportunity to learn more about this animal and the trip I'll be taking to Northern Norway in future articles. This trip will undoubtedly be one of the most spectacular and exciting of my life. Fotogario.
The year 2019 will be full of new challenges and photographic trips. I will dedicate all of Fotogario's efforts to these 5 projects, which I will share with you on this blog. There will be surprises starting in the first few weeks of January, and I will also share them in the Fotogario's YouTube channel. All aimed at achieving the 5 challenges, the 5 challenges 2019 that I've set out to do. What do you think? I look forward to your comments.
