Crowned Woodnymph in the Osa
Crowned Woodnymph: Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica — At the end of our wagon ride up the Rincon, we visited the Ranger Station deep in Corcovado National Park to sign in, and then took a hike from the river up the mountain to the south. The trail was steep and muddy, and there was not much in the way of bird-life, but our local guide gave us a good introduction to the forest habitats of the Osa Peninsula and the Pacific lowlands. Edwin and I did encounter this female (or perhaps immature male) Crowned Woodnymph Hummingbird when he stayed back with me on my slower-than-the-rest hike back to the river. We were crossing a small stream under heavy canopy. Sony Rx10iv at about 575mm equivalent. Program mode with wildlife modifications and multi-frame noise reduction. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 3200 and 4000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Osa Howlers
Howler Monkeys: Rio Rincon near Danta Corcovado Lodge, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica — The Osa Peninsula is home to all 4 of Costa Rica’s primate species. We encountered a troop of Howler Monkeys along the bed of the Rincon well into Corcovodo National Park, near the Ranger Station. The Howler is the second largest monkey in Costa Rica, but as mentioned before, it always manages to look bigger than the larger Spider Monkey, perhaps due to its relatively massive proportions…all body and tail, and not so much legs and arms. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 500 and 250 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Laughing Falcon
Laughing Falcon: Rio Rincon near Corcovado Lodge and National Park, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica — We were getting pretty far up the Rincon toward the border of Corcovado National Park by the time we encountered this Laughing Falcon. I have actually never heard the “laughing” call, which the bird apparently only makes when it is upset. We certainly were not close enough to be a threat. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/1000th. + 1 EV exposure compensation for detail in the backlit bird.
Common Black Hawk
Common Black Hawk: Rio Rincon near Danta Corcovado Lodge, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica — Another good look from our tractor and wagon ride up the bed of the Rincon: Common Black Hawk. Perched about 4 feet off the water…so slightly below eye-level from out seats in the high wheeled wagon. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Spider Monkey!
Spider Monkey: Rio Rincon near Danta Corcovado Lodge, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica — I had never seen the Spider Monkey in Costa Rica…and on my one trip to the Amazon, I was sick aboard the river boat when they were seen in Peru…so I was delighted when we spotted a few in a very tall tree beside the Rincon as we drove our tractor and wagon up the riverbed on our way deep into Corcovado National Park. The Spider Monkey, despite it’s somewhat delicate look when compared to the more common Howler Monkey, is actually the largest of the primates in Costa Rica. Though we never got a really unobstructed view of the Spider, you can see the length of the arms and at least glimpse the length of the tail. This is an animal made for moving rapidly through the canopy. 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.
Ringed Kingfisher
Ringed Kingfisher: Rio Rincon near Danta Corcovado Lodge, Osa Peninsula), Costa Rica — Not a great shot, but a pretty good bird. The biggest of the Kingfishers with a range from just over the border in the US, through Central America, and all of South America. This bird was distant…this is a heavy crop of a 600mm shot, and totally back-lighted, +2EV exposure compensation and even then it took some post processing to show any green at all. Still, I will take it. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv as above. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications and the exposure compensation. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/640th.
Amazon Kingfishers
Amazon Kingfishers (pair): Rio Rincon near Danta Corcovado Lodge, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica — As we traveled up the bed of the Rincon in our wagon behind the tractor on our way into Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula, we came up on this pair of Amazon Kingfishers facing off on a branch above the water. We were far enough away so that I could get both in the same frame at 600mm equivalent. The Amazon Kingfisher lives all through the Amazon Basin in South America, and up through Central American and into Mexico. I have even seen one in South Texas, just on the border, but that was big deal, and happened during the Rio Grande Birding and Nature Festival, which meant that several hundred other birders saw it too. Sony Rx10iv as above. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Waders and shore birds on the Rio Rincon
White Ibis, Greater Yellowlegs, Snowy Egret, Killdeer: Rio Rincon, Costa Rica (near Danta Corcovado Lodge on the Osa Peninsula) — On our wagon ride up the Rincon River, as I mentioned, we crossed the river many times on the big tires of the wagon. That and driving up the stream bed and right beside the water most of the way made it seem a little like a boat rode. Where we crossed first were the river was wide and shallow and we were treated to a shore bird display. These are all birds that are common in North America, but it was good to see them in Costa Rica. All but the Greater Yellowlegs are actually resident in Costa Rica. The Yellowlegs was wintering there. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Wide shot with the iPhone SE and Sirui 18mm lens. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 and 4.5 @ 1/1000 and 1/640th (Killdeer).
Lineated Woodpecker at a distance
Lineated Woodpecker: Danta Corcovodo Lodge, Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica (Osa Peninsula) — We saw this Lineated Woodpecker, our first for the trip to the Osa, from the wagon behind the tractor on our way to the Rincon River for our trip into Corcovado National Park. It was not close, but still within camera range. The Lineated is a big woodpecker…the size of the North American Pileated, and shares the red “night cap.” Sony Rx10iv at 485 and 600mm equivalents. Cropped and enlarged for approximately 2000mm equivalent). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixomator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4.5 and 5 @ 1/1000th.
Herons in the Osa
Little Blue Heron and Green Heron: Danta Corcovado Lodge, Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica (Osa Peninsula) — On the second day at Danta Corcovado Lodge on the Osa Peninsula we boarded an open wagon on tall wheels, behind a tractor with even bigger wheels, for a 2 hour drive up the bed of the Rio Rincon deep into Corcovado National Park…forging the stream itself maybe 30 times, and driving on the stony bed and sand beaches beside the water the rest of the way. It was an amazing journey, totally unique in my experience. We saw lots of birds and a few monkeys along the river. And it was simply a lot of fun! We found these two herons, Little Blue and Green in the reed beds between the Lodge and the river, where we crossed a small stream on its way to river as we were. There is a road the runs into the Park, but, I have to say, the wagon is the way to go…at least on a day when it is not raining. And of course, the river has to be low enough to allow the crossings. Environmental shots iPhone SE with Sirui 18mm lens. Herons with the Sony Rx10iv at 517 and 485mm equivalents. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 400 (Little Blue) 100 and 125 (Green) @ f4 @ 1/500th.