Costa Rica! Quail Dove
Buff-fronted Quail Dove: Mirador ye Soda Cinchona, San Jose, Costa Rica, December 2024 — Quail Doves of any kind can be hard to see. They tend to stay on the ground, under the lowest vegetation, and are quiet, both in motion and in vocalizations. This one walked up the foot bridge that serves the fruit feeders at the Soda in Cinchona, and perched momentarily just off the rail of the deck. Not the best light for photography (still raining, so ISO 25600), but the best views of this shy bird that I have ever gotten. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii at 327mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! Olingo
Olingo (or bushy-tailed Olingo, or Northern Olingo, three names for the same animal): Mirador ye Soda Cinchona, San Jose, Costa Rica, December 2024 — I know it sounds like a language learning program, but the Olingo is a arboreal member of the raccoon family, along with the Coatimundi and the Kinkajou. It looks very like a Kinkajou, but Kinkajous have a prehensile tail that tapers, and are primarily nocturnal. The Olingo prefers the night but is also more active in the daylight hours, especially when folks will put nice bananas out for the birds. Still, this was a rare enough sighting so that the young lady who keeps the fruit feeder stocked at the Soda for passing photographers had to be convinced that this critter was stealing her bananas. There were at least two of them. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii at 217 and 178mm equivalents. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! Coppery
Coppery-headed Emerald Hummingbird: Mirador ye Soda Cinchona, San Jose, Costa Rica, December 2024 — One of only two endemic hummingbirds of Costa Rica, and the only one that I have seen…almost exclusively at Mirador ye Soda Cinchona. The relatively small Coppery-headed Emerald is closely related to the Snow-cap and some authorities place it in that otherwise lonely genus. This one only showed up after we had pretty much packed up to leave. I am glad we delayed just a little longer. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii @ 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! Violet is the color
Violet Saberwing Hummingbird: Mirador ye Soda Cinchona, San Jose, Costa Rica, December 2024 — The Violet Saberwing is among the largest hummingbirds in Central America, and in the world. Surprisingly it does not dominate the feeders where other species overlap, which is almost everywhere in its range. It is a bird of the foothills and mountains of Costa Rica. There is noting to match its deep rich iridescent purples or the flash of its white tail. Again, these shots were on our rainy afternoon on the deck in Cinchona. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii at 600, 423, 474mm equivalents. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! Brilliant!
Green-crowned Brilliant Hummingbird: Mirador ye Soda Cinchona, San Jose, Costa Rica, December 2024 — The whole family…an adult female, immature male, and two shots of the adult male. They were never in sight all at the same time, but in 90 minutes on the deck at the Soda in Cinchona, we saw all three. The females were by far the most numerous, everywhere in the bushes around the deck, I did not identify the immature male for what it was until later that evening, and we did not see the male until we were packing up to go, but see them all we did. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii at 600mm equivalent for all but the full body shot of the male, which was at 471mm. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Mule Deer in the morning
Mule Deer: Pebble Creek Campground area, Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — Yesterday’s Mule Deer family was from further up toward Silver Gate. We found this family the next morning down my Pebble Creek. They were feeling a bit frisky in the cool morning air. These fawns are pretty well grown to still be nursing and I am sure the doe will not indulge them much longer. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di 3 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! Black is the color
Black Guan: Mirador ye Soda Cinchona, San Jose, Costa Rica, December 2024 — There are two Guans in Costa Rica, one in Rainforest and foothills and one in the foothills and mountains. The Black Guan favors higher elevations. This one was coming to the fruit feeder in the rain at Mirador ye Soda Cinchona and was the first bird we saw there. Hard to miss. Big as a small turkey, and jet black except for the face patches. An impressive bird. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di 3. Full body shot at 178mm equivalent and head shots at 600mm. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Mule Deer
Mule Deer: near the Silver Gate gate, Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — We saw surprisingly few Mule Deer in Yellowstone when we were there, and no bucks. The does we saw though, all had well grown fawns, generally twins. This is a late in the day, almost sundown shot on our way back out of the Lamar Valley to our lodging in Silver Gate. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di3 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! Toucanet in the rain
Northern Emerald Toucanet: Soda ye Mirador Cinchona, San Jose, Costa Rica, December 2024 — My first stop in Costa Rica, even if, as this year, I have to go the long way around to do it, is always the Soda ye Mirador Cinchona…a small restaurant and shop perched on stilts on the side of the road and on the side of the deep drop into the canyon of the Sarapiqui river. They have a back deck with tables and both hummingbird and fruit feeders that attract all of the birds you might hope to see at mid-elevation in Costa Rica. And they have a glorious view of San Francisco falls across the valley as a bonus. This Northern Emerald Toucanet was one of several visiting the feeders in the pouring rain…he was not very happy about the rain, but then, neither was I. I prefer better light…but we take what we can get. Both photographers and Toucanets. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di3 at 300mm equivalent. (One of the things I like about Cinchona is how close the birds are to you.) Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Coyote afternoon prowl
Coyote: Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — Late in the afternoon after a full day in the park, headed back to Silver Gate for the night, we found this Coyote prowling along the road as we left the Lamar Valley. Beautiful light. Beautiful animal. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di3 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.