Uganda Edition: Impala!
Impala: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — Lake Mburo is the only national park in Uganda to host Impala. Everywhere else the most elegant of antelope (in my humble opinion) is replaced by the closely related, slightly stockier, Uganda Kob. We were still on our way down to the Lake for the Lake cruse when we found a small herd of Impala within sight of the road. Sony Rx10iv around 520mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 200 and 250 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Bluebird deals with the Polar Vortex!
Eastern Bluebird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, February 2023 — It was negative 12 degrees Fahrenheit on my little indoor/outdoor thermometer right beside the double glazed thermopane deck doors, with a wind chill factor of less then -50 outside, when I took this photo from the warm safety of our kitchen. This flattened bluebird is dealing with the Polar Vortex in is own way. Both he and we appreciated the bright winter sun. I kept the meal worm feeder full all day…and the sunflower and suet feeders for the chickadees and nuthatches and titmice and woodpeckers. (The chickadees, of course, took all three.) Action around the feeders was pretty constant all day. It eventually warmed up to about 9 degrees before going back down to negatives for the night. Today it is supposed to 40. 🙂 I am happy to say both we and the birds survived the Polar Vortex…this time. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Uganda Edition: Topi
Topi: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — The only two parks in Uganda where you are likely to see Topi are the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth and Lake Mburo. This one was beside the road as we drove through the park to get to our bout tour on the lake. Though it is a fairly large antelope, the Topi is often sighted as the fasted African antelope, at least over short distances. Sony Rx10iv at 238mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Scaly-breasted Hummingbird
Scaly-breasted Hummingbird: Los Cosingos Scanturay, Costa Rica, December 2022 — Not a very exciting hummingbird, as the colorful hummingbirds go, and according to some authorities, common in its largely Central American range, but not easy to see. This one was tucked back deep in the foliage at the Alexander Skutch homestead, near the main house. No flashy gorget…and, in fact, not much of a Scaly-breast either. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixomator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Uganda Edition: Immature Bateleur
Bateleur: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — We looked through 3 National Parks and along the roads between them for an adult Bateleur, which is among the most beautiful of Hawk-Eagles, and though we saw several immatures, we never did see an adult. This immature was along the road on our way to the boat trip on Lake Mburo on our first afternoon there. Note the round, owl-like face and the short tail. Without the bold colors of the adult, the shape is identifying characteristic of the bird. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/800th.
Bay-headed Tanager in the sun…
Bay-headed Tanager: Los Cosingos Sanctuary, Costa Rica, December 2022 — When we moved on from Las Cruces Biological Research Station, headed for San Gerardo de Dota in the Talamanca Mountains, we stopped for a biding lunch at Los Cosginos Bird Sanctuary, which is the Alexander Skutch homestead. Skutch is perhaps the best know tropical naturalist of recent generations, with many influential books and studies to is credit. When he passed away his homestead was set aside, and is operated as sanctuary for the birds he loved. This Bay-headed Tanager came for bananas put out on stump near the Skutch house, which is maintained as a kind of museum to his work. It is mount the most colorful of the many colorful neo-tropical tanager species. Here it just about shines in the direct sun. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 1000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Uganda Edition: Defassa Waterbuck
Defassa Waterbuck: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — Male and female Waterbuck. The male was from our early morning walking safari and the female was on the way to our lodge when we had first arrived in the Park. Magnificent animals! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm (male) and 143mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. Male: ISO 1250 @ f4 @ 1/500th, Female: ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/320th.
Snowy-bellied Hummingbird
Snowy-bellied Hummingbird: Las Cruces Biological Research Station, San Vito, Costa Rica, December 2022 — I posted another image from this same encounter back in December when I actually saw the bird, but it deserves another as I work my way through my shots from Costa Rica. Not an easy bird to see and we missed it on our first attempt, so I was out at first light to try again on the morning we left Las Cruces for the mountains. The light was challenging, to say the least, but the bird came in just as I reached my time limit and had to head back for breakfast and departure. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Uganda Edition: African Openbill (Stork)
African Openbill Stork: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — This bird is generally just called the African Openbill, or even Openbill, but it is obviously a Stork and some references add the Stork to the name. We can on this one in a wet field still on our way to our lodge at Lake Mburo, posing nicely on its termite nest. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Yellow-bellied Elaenia: Las Cruces Biological Research Station, San Vito, Costa Rica, December 2022 — The Elaenias are pretty plain by tropical bird standards, but the Yellow-bellied has this interesting double crest that is often erected, making it stand out…as it does here in the early morning light at Weldon Botanical Gardens. I was out looking for the Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, which I did eventually see, but the Elaenia keep me entertained while I was waiting. The Yellow-bellied Elaenia has a wide distribution from southern Mexico all down through Central America, at all but the highest elevations. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.