Posts in Category: Canopy Lodge
Fleischmann’s Glass Frog
Fleischmann’s Glass Frog: Canopy Lodge, Panama, July 2022 — One of my favorite things to do in the tropics is to go out at night with a flashlight looking for frogs (and whatever else we find). I was particularly eager at the Canopy Lodge in Panama because Glass Frogs live on the property. I have seen a few different species of Glass Frogs in Costa Rica, but only when Cope has brought them in for photography at his place. I was hoping to encounter one “in the wild” in Panama. Tino, my guide at the Lodge, was pretty confident he could find me some around the ponds on the far side of the stream, and indeed he did…three individuals and a couple of egg clusters. Fleischmann’s Glass. Frog is one of the smaller Glass Frogs…at under one inch, the smallest I have seen so far. All Glass Frogs shelter on the underside of leaves in the rain and it had just stopped raining when we went out, so we did a lot of peaking under leaves. These were hiding along the small stream that runs out from the lower swimming pool/pond. The egg cluster was about 20 times as big as either frog. There are fertile eggs in the cluster, and infertile. The tadpoles first meal will be the infertile eggs. The call of this Glass Frog is a sharp “wheeet” and, as you can see from the inflated call sacks, they were calling almost continuously…trying to attract females and defending their small territories. Sony Rx10iv at 330mm to 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications and multi-frame noise reduction. Taken by the light of a led flashlight. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos.
Black-crowned Antpitta
Black-crowned Antpitta: Canopy Lodge, Panama, July 2022 — The Antpittas are all smallish birds that stay pretty close to the ground in the dense undergrowth of old growth rainforest through Central and South America, where they follow Army Ant swarms and feast on other ants of the forest. Most are listed as “rare”, but I think that is due mainly to how difficult they are to see. The Black-crowned ranges through most of Panama, and is found in Columbia and Costa Rica as well. We found this one in dense forest on the edge of the huge chicken farm above Canopy Lodge. And of course, photographing an antpitta is always a challenge…down low in heavy undergrowth, with limited lines of sight,and never enough light. They do have the habit of hopping up on a log and running the length of it…every antpitta I have seen, we first spotted when it did that. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications and multi-frame noise reduction. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. Equivalent ISO 6400 @ f4 @ 1/20th and 1/25th. Plus .3 EV.
Aplomado Falcon!
Aplomado Falcon: Las Uvas, Panama, July 2022 — We were on our way back to the highway when Tino spotted this bird in a tree right beside the road. I was cooperative enough so we could park up and get out and walk a bit closer. It eventually flew off, only to land on a tree further down the road with it mate. I have see a few of the reintroduced population in South Texas and New Mexico, but this was a first for Central America. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixomator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/800th. Plus 1EV exposure compensation.
Lance-tailed Manakin
Lance-tailed Manakin: Las Uvas, Panama, July 2022 — Another bird we had to work for, walking long sections of dirt road and checking frequently, but well worth it when we finally got good views. All credit to Tino, my guide. We drove up and over the mountains from Canopy Lodge and down to the Pacific Wetlands. What a bird! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications and multi-frame noise reduction. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. Equivalent ISO 4000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Rosy Thrush-Tanager
Rosy Thrush-Tanager: Canopy Lodge, Panama, July 2022 — We (or at least my guide, Tino) worked hard for this bird. We visited three locations around Canopy Lodge, and heard them each place, before fining one that would come out for a photo. Tino has more patience that I have for this kind of thing, but the wait was worth it. 🙂 Conditions were not ideal. These were taken from under an umbrella in moderate rain. Still a beautiful bird and unique among Tanagers in spending more time on the ground than in the foliage…hence the Thrush part of the name. The female, which I got a glimpse of, is orange where the male is rose red. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications and multi-frame noise reduction. Equivalent ISO 5000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.