{"id":9698,"date":"2018-12-08T00:03:24","date_gmt":"2018-12-08T00:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rideintobirdland.com\/en\/?p=9698"},"modified":"2020-01-12T21:16:06","modified_gmt":"2020-01-12T21:16:06","slug":"en-la-senda-del-jaguar-con-steve-winter-fotografo-de-national-geographic-parte-iii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rideintobirdland.com\/en\/on-the-trail-of-jaguars-with-steve-winter-national-geographic-photographer-part-iii\/","title":{"rendered":"On the trail of jaguars with Steve Winter, National Geographic photographer \u2013 Part III"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Dear Mr. Jaguar, please come for a drink!<\/b>
\nThe sun<\/span> has already warmed the forest as we hike the trail, single file, toward our chosen destination. It\u2019s Day 2 of Steve Winter<\/a>\u2019s expedition to photograph jaguars in the Yucatan Peninsula and again a water hole draws us in, a second cenote<\/em> that may yet provide Steve with a chance to capture an image he\u2019s already seen in his mind: a spectacular shot of a jaguar coming to the water to quench its thirst, as seen from the water looking out.<\/p>\n

Steve is psyched about the possibilities and his no-nonsense enthusiasm is contagious. It\u2019s also impossible to ignore Bertie Gregory<\/a>\u2019s commitment to his double mission today, for in addition to his role as Steve\u2019s assistant he\u2019s also shooting video for National Geographic\u2019s on-line platform, carrying strapped to his chest a rig at the core of which is a Sony FS-7 digital video camera. Throughout the day he\u2019ll stay busy alternating between camera-trap deployment and shooting video as a one-man-band.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Steve Winter and Bertie Gregory, loaded with gear, walk a trail in El Zapotal towards a potential trap-camera location. (Photo \u00a9 Iv\u00e1n Gabald\u00f3n).<\/p><\/div>\n

The trail turns into a rocky gradual ascent, then slopes down again until suddenly we see it, a beautiful, rounded water hole surrounded by trees that grow over a tapestry of dry leaves, their branches reaching over the water as if attempting to escape from the heat.<\/p>\n

Biologist Abraham Puc has used this location regularly to set up compact camera-traps for El Zapotal\u2019s wildlife monitoring program, and many records of jaguars have been obtained here. Steve confers with Abraham, looks around as he weighs his options, then chooses a spot. Work begins immediately as he goes waist-deep into the water without hesitation.<\/p>\n

Many factors must be taken into account when choosing proper emplacement for a camera-trap, as has already been discussed in Part II<\/a> of this story. Today\u2019s set-up adds another variable, since the camera will be rigged just above the surface of the water. Steve wants to achieve a shooting angle that will hopefully be at eye level with the jaguar as it approaches the edge of the cenote<\/em>\u00a0to drink.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a real chance that, if water level continues to rise as the rainy season progresses, the camera will be swallowed by the cenote<\/i>. Steve feels it’s a risk worth taking, but not without first grilling Abraham to better understand how high the water has risen in preceding years. Abraham\u00a0<\/span>does his best to answer but in the end, as he cautiously points out, it\u2019s hard to know for sure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Steve visualizes his shot and makes the next all important decision: how to frame the composition. He then gives Bertie precise indications for the placement of three strobes that will light the subject and its surrounding scene. Next the TrailMaster system must be carefully aligned, its infrared beam shooting straight into the sensor and drawing a line that, we all hope, the jaguar will cross in order to trigger the system. All cables must then be hidden as best as possible and secured to rocks and branches. Finally, everything must be tested to confirm the system works.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Bertie rigs the first strobe to the right side of the camera. (Photo \u00a9 Iv\u00e1n Gabald\u00f3n).<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Following Steve’s directions, Bertie climbs on a tree to rig the second strobe. (Photo \u00a9 Iv\u00e1n Gabald\u00f3n).<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Steve pre-visualizes his shot before putting the camera in the weather-proof housing. (Photo \u00a9 Iv\u00e1n Gabald\u00f3n).<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

It takes teamwork to precisely align the TrailMaster’s infrared beam with its receiving sensor. (Photo \u00a9 Iv\u00e1n Gabald\u00f3n).<\/p><\/div>\n

It takes nearly three hours of hard work to complete our task. In the end, as we leave the finished set-up behind, the box that houses the camera is only a couple of inches above the water’s surface. Meant to offer protection from the elements, these boxes are weather sealed but not built to be submerged. Clearly there won\u2019t be much room for error and if the water does indeed rise it will surely leak into the box, flooding the camera. But Steve\u2019s gamble could pay off and reward him with a great photograph of a jaguar coming down to the water for a drink, its imposing figure reflected on a liquid mirror.<\/p>\n

Once we make it back to camp we eat a hearty lunch and get some rest while the sun travels away from its zenith, arching west across a blue, cloudless sky. It\u2019s best to wait until the temperature drops a bit, so we finally set out again shortly past 4 pm. We soon reach location #3, an area where the trail cuts a boundary between low bush and a small patch of landscape covered in reeds. This trail, Abraham reports, is often used by wildlife.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re all quickly engaged in what by now feels like a familiar routine, selecting camera emplacement, rigging strobes and the TrailMaster system, hiding and securing cables, locking everything down, then checking it all works. Again it takes about three hours for everything to be ready and night has fallen by the time we\u2019re finished. The following day we\u2019ll go back to each camera location and make sure all systems are operational.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The trail cuts through two distinct habitats, low bush on one side and this area filled with reeds on the other. (Photo \u00a9 Iv\u00e1n Gabald\u00f3n).<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Night is about to fall as we continue working, but that would never keep Steve from smiling. (Photo \u00a9 Iv\u00e1n Gabald\u00f3n).<\/p><\/div>\n

A triple double-check and the promise of things to come<\/b><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll spare you the details of our day spent revisiting camera-traps, but a couple of things are worth mentioning. Notably, camera-trap #1, which had given us plenty of trouble during initial set-up (with strobes refusing to fire and batteries falling out of place, as told in Part I<\/a> of this story) was again not working properly. This alone justified the need to go back and revisit each set-up, and should be a note of caution to all photographers planning to use camera-trap techniques. After all, this would be our last chance to make sure everything works before leaving the cameras on their own for at least two weeks.<\/p>\n

But if set-up #1 was a bit of a downer, demanding more time and effort to be fully operational again, and set-up #2 proved uneventful, set-up #3 had an uplifting surprise in store for us. The TrailMaster’s event counter announced in red numbers that the system had been triggered and several shots had been fired. After taking the camera out of the housing and quickly previewing the contents of the card, a big grin flashed across Steve\u2019s face. The night before, not long after we\u2019d left the location, an ocelot had triggered the system!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Surpirse, surprise! An ocelot was photographed soon after we left the location the night before. (Photo \u00a9 Iv\u00e1n Gabald\u00f3n).<\/p><\/div>\n

Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis<\/i>) are impressive felines in their own right.\u00a0 <\/span>Males can weigh up to 15 Kg. with a body length of up to 100 cm. Mostly nocturnal, with brown eyes that turn golden when illuminated, they\u2019re solitary hunters that come out at dusk and return to their resting places with first light. They prey on small mammals, birds, fish, insects and reptiles, and can rarely also target larger prey such as deer or peccaries.<\/p>\n

The ocelot was a source of joy and wetted our appetite for further triumphs to come. Perhaps more importantly, it also allowed Steve to review the lighting of this particular camera set-up. The cat was nicely illuminated but the scenery around it was too dark, so Steve decided to increase the intensity of the lights bathing the background.<\/p>\n

With the first stage of Steve\u2019s mission now completed, our production plan will put us on the road to the Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, where we hope to\u00a0witness the natural spectacle of a huge colony of nesting flamingos. After that\u00a0Steve and Bertie will fly to Colombia, where they plan to photograph and film jaguars for several weeks. In the meantime I\u2019ll return to El Zapotal to check all cameras, change batteries as needed, and leave them working again for several more days. Then I\u2019ll return one last time to pick them up for good.<\/p>\n

Once the Colombian leg of their trip is over Steve and Bertie will return to Canc\u00fan and we will set out from there on speed-boats towards “The Blue”, off the coast of the Mexican Caribbean, where it’s possible to experience the gargantuan placidity of whale sharks and the impressive natural design of oceanic manta rays. Production will be brought to a close with a final visit to the flamingo colony in R\u00eda Lagartos, which should by then be populated with thousands of newly hatched chicks.<\/p>\n

We shall continue to share all these amazing experiences with our readers here in Ride Into Birdland, but first\u00a0we’ll now flash-forward to bring you along as I return to check Steve\u2019s camera-traps in El Zapotal. It\u2019s time to find out if all our hard work has been rewarded with any degree of success.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll disclose right away that I found nothing significant in the first two cameras I checked. The one that had photographed the ocelot had a few images of a Bare-throated Tiger Heron who, walking distractedly, had triggered the system several times. There were no photos of jaguars either in camera #1. I changed batteries and realigned strobes that had been moved by the wind and the rain, then left the cameras working.<\/p>\n

Only the ambitious camera-trap in the water remained to be checked. I invite you to watch the video below to fully appreciate what I found when I got there.<\/p>\n