Regal Sunbird in the sun, singing
Regal Sunbird: Mgahinga National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — Of course you will never forget your first sighting of a Regal Sunbird, especially when you slithered down the side of mountain to get it, and Bwindi will always have that honor for me…but here we are a day later, just beyond the ranger station at Mgahinga National Park, and we have one singing in the sun! Each of these photos deserves a closer look. Such a bird! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 640, 500, and 400 in the changing light @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Sloth down low
Two-toed Sloth: Playa Blanco, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, December 2022 — While we were watching the Macaws, folks at the house at the end of the long drive shaded by the Beach Almond trees were watching us. We were on their property, and it did cross my mind when a young lady and gentleman came walking up toward us that we about to the “told off”, but, of course, being Costa Rica, they actually wanted to invite us down to the house where they had a sloth low in the tree that shaded their picnic table. Did we want to come take photos? Well, yes, thank you! Really low as it turns out…just at eye level for the taller among us. The young couple enjoyed watching us ooh and awe and snap. It was the home of the young lady’s uncle, and yes, she had grown up right there in Playa Blanca. The young man was less talkative, but all smiles. You don’t often see a sloth so close, and in such good company. Sony Rx10iv at 300mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications with multi-frame noise reduction. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. Equivalent ISO 5000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Uganda Edition: Rwenzori Chameleon
Rwenzori Chameleon (Johnston’s Chameleon): Mghinga National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — This rather large and rather amazing chameleon was there to greet us right outside the ranger station at Mghinga. I would say this one is at the upper range the likely length for species. The more common three-horned chameleon is the Jackson’s, which is found throughout most of East Africa (expect Uganda, Rwanda, and Bhrundi) and is problematically invasive in Hawaii, Florida, and California. The Rwenzori or Johnston’s Chameleon is endemic to the higher altitudes of the Albertine Rift, and is apparently somewhat of a tourist attraction. We were blessed to see this one as easily as we did. Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 125 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
One last set of Scarlet Macaws
Scarlet Macaws: Playa Blanco, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, December 2022 — One last set of Scarlet Macaws before we leave Playa Blanca and the beach behind. This bird was in a tree on the ocean side of the road, right on the beach, and more exposed to the winds off the water. More light, not necessarily better light. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus .3EV for the backlight.
Uganda Edition: Kandt’s Waxbill
Kandt’s Waxbill: Mghinga National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — Moving on from Bwindi to Mghinga National Park. We were scheduled for the Golden Monkey trek at Mghinga, but considering our trail experiences at Bwindi, I made an executive decision to forgo the trek in favor of some birding around the trailhead and up the trail for a mile or so. For one thing, close encounters with the Golden Monkeys had been rare for the past few days, with some groups not seeing them at tall, and for another, we were all pretty tired after Bwindi, and, I was assuming the Golden Monkey Trek would easier…no so! All in all it was a good decision. We saw lots of birds, many right around the ranger station. There was a flock of Kandt’s Waxwings…not easy to photograph because they are so active…but in great light! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 250 @ 4 @ 1/500th.
Double-toothed Kite
Double-toothed Kite: Playa Blanco, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, December 2022 — It is, according to the field guides and eBird, rare to see a Double-toothed Kite perched…and I would guess even rarer to see one perched in amongst a flock of noisy Scarlet Macaws, but this bird was perched on the lower branches of the same tree the Macaws were in…bold a brass! The guides also say it can be “quite tame” when perched and it certainly was. It allowed us to move around under it and take as many photos as we wanted. I have included a deep crop of the head to show off the double-tooth, which again, according to the field guides, is “rarely seen.” It is pretty clear in this shot. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 640, 400, and 500 in the shade dappled light @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Uganda Edition: Green-headed Sunbird
Green-headed Sunbird: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — Our final treat on the unintentional hike from the Gorilla Trek trailhead back to our lodge, was this male Green-headed Sunbird. I complained earlier, when posting the shots of the females that we saw around the parking area, that we could not find any males…but there was one in the same tangle of brush were we saw the Regal Sunbird, deep down next to the stream near the trail. Again in difficult light, but that only made the brilliant green stand out more. 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.
Scarlet Macaws
Scarlet Macaw: Playa Blanca, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, December 2022 — I told the story of these Macaws when I posted a first pic the day after seeing them in early December, but we will revisit Playa Blanca today to remember then again. We went two afternoons in a row to look for the colony of Macaws that feeds in the late afternoon in the Beach Almond trees right along the bay a few miles from Danta Corcovado Lodge in the little beach town of Playa Blanca. The first day we got rained out, but persistence paid off the next afternoon. I was able to direct our guide, Mario, to exactly the spot were we saw them in 2021, and, though they were not there to greet us when we got out of the bus, they came 20 minutes later while we were still looking…right to the same trees along a property line across the road from the beach were we had seen them a year ago. Scarlet Macaws are big, beautiful birds, but I am not sure I would want them for neighbors. They are noisy and messy, and could easily become a nuisance if you had to live with them coming through your yard daily. The Playa Blanca flock is at least 25 birds, so lots of Macaws when they come. We stood under the trees and took photos for 30 minutes before me had enough of Macaws for the afternoon and moved on…getting back to the lodge for some down-time before dinner. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Uganda Edition: Regal Sunbird
Regal Sunbird: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — What turned out to be about half way back to the lodge from the Gorilla Trek trailhead, we found the bird we had been looking for all morning. Gordon had not guaranteed us this bird, but, considering our slither down the steep mountain side, and the lack of birds along the trail, he was visibly and vocally relieved to find us a Regal Sunbird. The Regal is perhaps the poster bird for Albertine endemics…found only at high altitudes on the slopes of the volcanos of far western Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania. And such a stunning bird. During this encounter the bird was up the slope from us in a heavy tangle of vines and against the sun, so not the best photos, but such a bird! And a bird that I had missed in 2019, on my first trip to Uganda. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 1250 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus .3EV for the backlight.
Two-fingered Sloth
Two-toed Sloth: Danta Corcovado Lodge, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, December 2022 — As we were coming back from the observation tower at Danta Corcovado, I looked up into the canopy (as birders are apt to do) and saw this looking back at me. I know it is called the Two Toed Sloth, but honestly, all sloths have three toes. One species has three “fingers” and the other, this one, has two. So it really ought to be the Two-fingered Sloth. Anyway. This one was doing what sloths do most of the time. If you don’t know the whole Sloth story…the moss in the fur, the moths in the moss, the whole up in the trees for days at a time, but not all the time, story…then you should look it up. Sloths are fascinating animals. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus 1 EV for the backlight.