Difficult bird!
Rufous-tailed Jacamar: Tico Rainforest B&B, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — The Rufous-tailed Jacamar was one of the first birds we heard on my first morning at Tico Rainforest B&B, and one the last birds I saw on my last day at Tico Rainforest B&B…and I did not see it until that morning. They tend to say low in the undergrowth, and if my experience is anything to go by, low down in overgrown gullies and washes at that. This bird sat against a busy background in deep shade, with no completely clear line-of-sight. Not easy! I am happy to have gotten what I did…but I long for an easy Jacamar on one of these trips. 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Hung out to dry
Anhinga: Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island NWR, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2025 — The same female Anhinga as yesterday’s post, but this time in the classing drying the wings pose. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 300mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Youngster
Immature Montazuma’s Oropendola: Tico Rainforest B&B, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — This Oropendola, photographed off Victor’s second floor balcony, is at that awkward stage of molting into adult plumage. Still beautiful…in some ways more attractive than the adult. 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600 and 450mm equivalents. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Lady Anhinga
Anhinga: Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island NWR, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2025. I am not sure what is going on here…whether that hank of shredded rope or fabric in her beak is nesting material, or if she has a fishhook caught. The light on our first sunny afternoon was glorious by the time I got to the little pond by the rest rooms. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 415mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Dusky-faced Tanager
Dusky-faced Tanager: Tico Rainforest B&B, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — This is a bird I had not seen in 10 previous trips to Costa Rica, and Victor, my host at Tico Rainforest, said that it is one of the main attractions for photographers at his place. Though it bears the Tanager name, it is not one of the true tanager family. It and 3 other tanager species were placed in their own family in 2013. It ranges through Central and north west South America, but evidently is not all that easy to see in Costa Rica. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Strutting
Tricolored Heron: Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island NWR, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2025 — For the second year in a row, the Tricolored Heron was by far the most numerous of the heron tribe on Black Point Drive. There were, of course, more Great and Snowy Egrets by far, but of the dark herons the Tricolored took the crown. This one was pretty full of itself. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Black-cowled
Black-cowled Oriole: Tico Rainforest B&B, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — Early in the morning from the deck at Victors B&B…my first and only sighting of the Black-cowled Oriole on this trip. I have only seen this bird once before in Costa Rica, though it is not an uncommon bird at feeders. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Learning the craft
Immature Reddish Egret: Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island NWR, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2025 — This Reddish-egret, just coming into adult plumage, was hunting along Black Point Drive on our first sunny afternoon. Backlit of course, but it was fun to watch. All Reds are awakward hunters, striking often improbable poses, but this immature was still obviously learning the craft. Still, I love the light through the wings. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Red-eye
Red-eyed Leaf Frog: Frog Heaven, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — No visit to the lowlands of Costa Rica would be complete without an encounter with the Red-eyed Leaf Frog…perhaps the most emblematic of non-bird species in the American Tropical Rainforest. I already posted shots from my first daylight encounter with this frog, and of course I had to ask the guide at Frog Heaven to find me one before we were done there. Taken in the light of my Ulanzi Photo Flashlight and from a light-weight travel tripod. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 382mm. Aperture preferred with my macro modifications. ISO 12800 @ f16 @ 1/15th. -1.3EV Processed in Photomator.
Looking a bit rough!
Tricolored Heron: Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island NWR, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2025 — Looking a bit rough after several days of rainy, cold, weather…not quite dried out on the first sunny afternoon is quite a while. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.