Olive-backed Euphonia
Female and Male Olive-backed Euphonia: Dave and Dave’s Costa Rican Nature Park, La Vergin, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — The Euphonias are small colorful finches of the lowland forests of Central America…looking and acting a lot like our Goldfinches…except that they eat more fruit and are even more varied in color. As you might guess from the name, they are all sweet singers. These two Olive-backed, likely a pair, not the brightest or most colorful of the clan by far were coming to the bananas young Dave put out next to the photo area. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Eddy art
Emmon’s Preserve, Kennebunkport, Maine, April 2025 —Water heavily laden with tannins from decaying leaves and high spring stream levels work with gravity and fluid dynamics and the April sun to create art in the eddies. Sony a5100. 10-18 f4 zoom at 27mm. Superior Auto. Photomator and LikeAFrame.
Red-throated Ant-tanager
Red-throated Ant-tanager: Dave and Dave’s Costa Rican Nature Park, La Vergin, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica. March 2025 — So, being me, I had to see if I could find out why it is an Ant-tanager? It seems they get the name from their habit of following ant swarms or ant trails to pick off other insects that are disturbed by the ants’ passage, and from their resemblance to tanagers. They were once placed in the “true tanager” family based on that resemblance. Some, like this Red-throated Ant-tanager, are now thought to be more closely related to the cardinals. (Maybe one day they will be the Red-throated Ant-cardinal? ) This is the best look I have ever had at this bird. Generally, as the name suggests, they are skulking around on the ground in dark corners under bushes where the ants live. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Crocus Spring
We had one mild, sunny spring day this week, and the Crocus buds opened for a few hours. They have been tight closed since, but they might peek out again today. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at various focal lengths for macro and framing. Aperture preferred for depth of field control (my standard macro settings). Processed in Photomator.
Mr Green
Green Honeycreeper: Dave and Dave’s Costa Rican Nature Park, La Vergin, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — For any photographer who loves birds, it does not get much better than this. Dave and Dave have the ideal setup for photography…great light, great birds, great backgrounds. This male Green Honeycreeper, with its bright red eye and amazing yellow gape, and super fine plumage, is just about the perfect subject as well. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Creature in the woods
Porcupine. Emmon’s Preserve, Kennebunkport, Maine, USA — While out looking for the first Trout Lily’s (Adder’s Tongue) of the season (there were none yet) I encountered a creature in the woods. I could not, for any amount of trying, figure out what it was, but I managed a few photos and came home to study them. My first instinct was Porcupine, but the almost total lack of quills had me baffled. There is nothing else it can be though, and I found some other photos on the web showing porcupines in a similar state. Perhaps it had just survived an attack of some sort…or perhaps it was its first venture out of the winter borrow, and it had lost most of its quills rubbing on the rocks all winter. It seemed heathy enough otherwise, and not overly upset at the encounter. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Photomator.
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet: York County, Maine, USA, April 2025 — Mild sunny days have been rare as spring comes on here in Southern Maine. Yesterday inspired me to get out for a photoprowl. I went looking for Trout Lily (not even any leaves showing yet) and then along the path by the river to see what I could see. Again, not much. But I met a fellow photographer/birder on the trail who told me that there were Kinglets up ahead. Otherwise I might have turned around early, and never known what I was missing. It is kind of miracle that they were still there when I got there, and hung around just long enough for a few photos. I am pretty sure these are my first Golden-crowns for York County, though I have seen lots of Ruby-crowned. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Keel-billed Toucan
Keel-billed Toucan: Dave and Dave’s Costa Rican Nature Park, La Vergin, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — I have not had a close view of a Keel-billed Toucan in my past several trips to Costa Rica. Just not in the right place at the right time I guess. This one sat well out in the tall trees along the edge of Dave and Dave’s property between the house and the road. Still, a wonder to see. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Golden Hooded Tanager
Golden-hooded Tanager: Dave & Dave’s Costa Rican Nature Park, La Vergin, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — Dave and Dave are a father and son who have transformed an old palm plantation on the bluff above the Sarapiqui river into a bird watcher’s and photographer’s paradise. Due to their elevation above the river, they get Toucans, Tanagers, and Hummingbirds of both the undergrowth and canopy of the Rainforest. This is the Golden-hooded Tanager, one of the standout birds of the lowlands. It is called “siete colores” (seven colors) by the locals. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Scarlet Macaws in love
Scarlet Macaw: La Vergin, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — Again from our roadside stop in La Vergin on the way to Dave and Dave’s Costa Rican Nature Park. As I said yesterday the clouds came and went rapidly so the sky behind the birds was constantly changing. This is clearly a bonded pair and the Macaw bond is a lifetime bond. This behavior is often described as “affection” and may well be. You can see the mutual preening happening in the third photo. Whatever it is, it is a captivating display. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.