Monthly Archives: February 2023

Uganda Edition: 2nd helping of Giraffes

Nubian Giraffes: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — There were more young Giraffes with the kaleidoscope of Giraffes than adults…perhaps it was a nursery group…and perhaps it was just a really good year for young. They all seemed to be of and age. Sony Rx10iv at various focal lengths as needed for framing. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 800 and 640 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Paramo

After the Resplendent Quetzals at dawn, and after a hearty breakfast at the lodge, we drove up to the very top of the Talamanca Mountains to Buena Vista peak…also called Cerro de la Muerte…one of the highest accessible peaks on the Continental divide and the highest on Pan American Highway, at 11,500 feet. On a clear day the mountain justifies its Buena Vista name, as you can see what looks like the length of the Talamancas, and both the Pacific on one side, and the Caribbean on the other. On a not so clear day, it can seem to justify its name as the Cerro de la Muerte…mountain of death…with a visibility in feet, and bone chilling cold…and that is when the wind is not blowing a gale. On any day, the fascinating plants of the Paramo, above tree-line, hugging the ground for survival, are a source of wonder. Take 2 minutes to view the slideshow. Sony Rx10iv. Assembled in Apple Photos.

Nubian Giraffes

Nubian Giraffe: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — There is nothing quite like encountering Giraffes on foot…when you are on foot, walking, as you do during the Walking Safari’s with an armed Ranger at Lake Mburo National Park. These huge, gentle, surprisingly graceful creatures are doing well at Lake Mburo…the herd is healthy…but in the larger context of the whole of Africa the subspecies is in decline, listed as endangered. This used to be the Rothschild’s Giraffe, and is a subspecies of the Northern Giraffe, only found in Uganda (where most of the population resides) and in one park in Kenya. Over the next few days I will be sharing a number of images from our two close encounters with this particular journey of Giraffes. (There are many names for a group of Giraffes in use: tower, herd, corps, journey, totter, and kaleidoscope are just a few of them. Venery (group naming) is an art, not a science. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 277mm (we were close!) equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Nubian Giraffes

Nubian Giraffe: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — There is nothing quite like encountering Giraffes on foot…when you are on foot, walking, as you do during the Walking Safari’s with an armed Ranger at Lake Mburo National Park. These huge, gentle, surprisingly graceful creatures are doing well at Lake Mburo…the herd is healthy…but in the larger context of the whole of Africa the subspecies is in decline, listed as endangered. This used to be the Rothschild’s Giraffe, and is a subspecies of the Northern Giraffe, only found in Uganda (where most of the population resides) and in one park in Kenya. Over the next few days I will be sharing a number of images from our two close encounters with this particular journey of Giraffes. (There are many names for a group of Giraffes in use: tower, herd, corps, journey, totter, and kaleidoscope are just a few of them. Venery (group naming) is an art, not a science. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 277mm (we were close!) equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Nubian Giraffes

Nubian Giraffe: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — There is nothing quite like encountering Giraffes on foot…when you are on foot, walking, as you do during the Walking Safari’s with an armed Ranger at Lake Mburo National Park. These huge, gentle, surprisingly graceful creatures are doing well at Lake Mburo…the herd is healthy…but in the larger context of the whole of Africa the subspecies is in decline, listed as endangered. This used to be the Rothschild’s Giraffe, and is a subspecies of the Northern Giraffe, only found in Uganda (where most of the population resides) and in one park in Kenya. Over the next few days I will be sharing a number of images from our two close encounters with this particular journey of Giraffes. (There are many names for a group of Giraffes in use: tower, herd, corps, journey, totter, and kaleidoscope are just a few of them. Venery (group naming) is an art, not a science. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 277mm (we were close!) equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Nubian Giraffes

Nubian Giraffe: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — There is nothing quite like encountering Giraffes on foot…when you are on foot, walking, as you do during the Walking Safari’s with an armed Ranger at Lake Mburo National Park. These huge, gentle, surprisingly graceful creatures are doing well at Lake Mburo…the herd is healthy…but in the larger context of the whole of Africa the subspecies is in decline, listed as endangered. This used to be the Rothschild’s Giraffe, and is a subspecies of the Northern Giraffe, only found in Uganda (where most of the population resides) and in one park in Kenya. Over the next few days I will be sharing a number of images from our two close encounters with this particular journey of Giraffes. (There are many names for a group of Giraffes in use: tower, herd, corps, journey, totter, and kaleidoscope are just a few of them. Venery (group naming) is an art, not a science. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 277mm (we were close!) equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

A different angle on a Quetzal

Resplendent Quetzal: San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — It is remotely possible that you could get tired of seeing photos of the Resplendent Quetzal before I am finished posting them. 🙂 We were about to get back on the bus when this gentleman flew into a tree right over our heads. There were very few windows with a line of sight and no obscuring foliage, but I managed this shot and I pretty happy with it. This is certainly as close as I have been to the Resplendent Quetzal! Sony Rx10iv at 567mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Uganda Edition: African Wattled Lapwing

African Wattled Lapwing: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — Another pre-dawn shot from our early morning walking safari at Lake Mburo. This Lapwing was apparently standing sentry or trying to get a look at the horizon in hopes of seeing the sunrise. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 640 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Quetzal in the sun!

Resplendent Quetzal: San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — In at least 8 trips to San Geraldo de Dota in search of Quetzals, I have only see one in the sun twice…and neither time was an ideal shot. The first time the bird was partially obscured by foliage, and this time he simply would not look down at me. So it goes. It just gives me a reason to return. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 561mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixomator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Uganda Edition: Striped Kingfisher

Striped Kingfisher: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — After a restful night at our lodge were were up early for our dawn walking safari in the park. This trip we drove into the park a good ways to an area around one of the larger water dams before setting off on foot. Our very first encounter was this little Striped Kingfisher, common in the park, but always a good bird. I like Kingfishers 🙂 Still before sun-rise here, so the light was not the best. 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.