Posts in Category: Costa Rica
Ringed Kingfisher
Ringed Kingfisher: Rio Rincon near the Danta Corcovado Lodge, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica — After I mistakenly named a distant Amazon Kingfisher as a Ringed last week in a post, I had to do some serious study of these photos to make sure I have the right name this time. This bird was closer, and at eye-level, but buried back under the shade of the foliage above it, and silhouetted against the brighter foliage behind it. We were well back toward the lodge on our way back down the Rincon river-bed from our visit to Corcovado National Park. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixomator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 124 and 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Yellow-headed Caracara
Yellow-headed Caracara: Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica — This bird was in terrible light, and I was shooting from the moving wagon on the way back down Rio Rincon coming out of Corcovado National Park, so no time to adjust. Still it is not a bad shot after some work in post-processing. At least a good portrait of the bird. Yellow-headed Caracara is increasing its range in Costa Rica, but it was always common in both the Pacific and Caribbean lowlands. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo, Apple Photos, and Polarr. ISO 100 @ f8 @ 1/1000th.
Short-tailed Hawk
Short-tailed Hawk: Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica — I am pretty sure this is a Short-tailed Hawk. I don’t remember what Edwin, our the guide called it, and it was overhead for just a few seconds, as we aboard the wagon for the trip back down the Rio Rincon after our short hike in the forests of Corcovado National Park. Not great photos but the best I could manage under the circumstances. So, more about the bird this morning, than the photo. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4.5 and f4 @ 1/1000th and 1/640th. The second shot at + .7 EV.
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.