Serenity Loon
Common Loon: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, February 2025 — I present for you this Sunday, the Serenity Loon…without a care in the world…the only ripples being those it makes itself in its peaceful passing. 🙂 What the world needs now. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Pairs competition
Black Skimmer: Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island NWR, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2025 — I love watching Black Skimmers skim! And I love trying to catch them with a camera. Love might not be the word actually as there is quite a bit of frustration involved…but I do enjoy the attempt. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. 1/2000th Processed in Photomator. (Sad to think that this and other National Wildlife Refuges are under threat…I, personally, would not want to see our Wildlife Refuges abandoned or, worse, tuned into commercial theme parks. Just saying.)
Smoky no more
Savage’s Thin-toed Frog: Frog Heaven, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — This used to the Smoky Jungle Frog…just way better than Savage’s Thin-toed Frog. Way better! Therefore I will continue to call it the Smoky Jungle Frog, thank you just the same! Fascinating creature by any name. We found this one right beside the trail at Frog Heaven, not at all bothered by our flashlights. I love the natural look of the light from my Ulanzi Photo Flashlight! Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 327mm equivalent. My macro modifications to Aperture preferred mode. f16 at 25600 ISO. Processed in Photomator. (Gotta love the colors at this high ISO on the a6700.)
So pink!
Roseate Spoonbill: Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island NWR, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2025 — On the afternoon of my second day at the Space Coast Bird and Wildlife Festival we finally got some Florida sun. I found a group of Spoonbills feeding in the channel along the road under the dark overhanging mangroves. While still not in full breeding plumage, the Spoons are certainly pinking up. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Highlight metering. Processed in Photomator.
Glass Frog
Fleischmann’s Glass-Frog (I think): Frog Heaven, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — I asked our guide at Frog Heaven to find me a glass frog. Glass frogs are a family of frogs with semi-transparent skins so that you can actually see the organs inside. He came back with the smallest, tiniest glass frog I have ever see. Cute. This guy was less than 1/2 inch tall. The best I can do on an id is Fleischmann’s…which is likely as they are pretty common in Costa Rica. Just generally much bigger. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 120mm equivalent. Aperture preferred program (my macro modifications) at f16, -2.7EV, ISO 25600 at 1/15th. In the light of my Ulanzi Photo Flashlight. Tripod. Processed in Photomator.
But what about those purples?
Little Blue Heron: Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island NWR, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2025 — Yes I know it is little and blue…though a completely different blue than the Great Blue Heron, but take a look at those purples in he neck and head. 🙂 Still overcast light on Black Point Drive and a nice close view out the car window really shows up the color. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Green in the night
Green Basilisk: Frog Heaven, Sarapique, Costa Rica, December 2024 — I posted some daylight photos (if you call under deep canopy in the rain, daylight) a while back…but this was a much larger and more mature individual we found at Frog Heaven on our night walk. Taken by the light of my Ulanzi Photo Flashlight. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 88 and 600mm equivalents. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. -1.3 EV exposure compensation. Processed in Photomator.
Snipe Hunt(ing)
Wilson’s Snipe: Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island NWR, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2025 — I suppose the Wilson’s Snipe is not long for this world if the name-change mob get their way…but I have never seen so many Snipe of any name as I saw this year around Black Point Drive. This was the first one I saw, and only maybe the third or 4th I have ever seen…but after maybe 6 loops around the drive over the next few days, it seemed I was seeing one every few hundred yards along the first mile. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Scarlet
Scarlet Macaw: Pierella Ecology Garden, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — Scarlet, and yellow, and blue…with some pink in there around the eye. There are not many more colorful, or more intensely colored, birds than the Scarlet Macaw. When we had finished with the Great Green Macaws, a guide called us back to the same trees to see a small flock of Scarlets feeding. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Wrinkled red
Rose hips. Kennebunk, Maine, USA. February 10, 2025. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 532mm equivalent. Aperture mode at f16. Processed in Photomator and framed in LikeAFrame.