Maicol and the Golden Eye of the militaris

That Friday, Maicol headed out into the sanctuary with the Sony Alpha camera Alejandro had lent him, and what he found was a cast worthy of any stage. The military macaw (Ara militaris), banded B101, perched on a weathered log — that golden eye staring straight into the lens. The scarlet macaw with its blinding red. The blue-and-yellow with one wing stretched wide, as if it knew it was being photographed. And the blue-headed parrot B112, that violet-blue crown that looks hand-painted. Some were roaming freely through the sanctuary — the camera caught them among the foliage, backgrounds soft and blurred, midday light filtering down through the branches. Others were in the aviary, gripping slices of mango and orange in their talons, curved beaks working without pause. Nine images in total: four species, two FL-VN identification programs, and a collection of photographs that already has the look of a brand-new website.