Female Golden-browed Chlorophonia Flying Head-on at Batsu Gardens

A female Golden-browed Chlorophonia flies directly toward the lens with wings and tail spread, her compact green form lifted from the dark woodland background at Batsu Gardens in Costa Rica. This Costa Rica-Panama mountain endemic shows rich green plumage; females carry a pale blue crown and a narrow blue-violet collar. The exposure of 1/4000 sec, f/5.6 and ISO 6400 freezes the decisive body position and separates the principal wing and tail feathers while retaining only fine traces of motion at the fastest edges; the photograph was made in natural light without flash.