The spotted puffbird ranges throughout a large swath of northern South America. There are about 34 species of puffbird. They get their name due to the habit of puffing their feathers out while perched. This one was photographed in the Rupununi region of Guyana. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1600, f/5.6 at 1/1600th of a second.
The city skyline can be seen in the distance on a moody afternoon as a zebra trots across the savanna in Nairobi National Park. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 24-70mm lens (at 70mm) ISO 720, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second.
I saw three different species of owl while in Guyana. This is a subspecies of the short-eared owl (Asio flammeus pallidicaudus) which occurs in Venezuela, Guyana and Surinam. Photographed in the Rupununi region in the southern interior of the country. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1100, f/5.6 at 1/160th of a second.
This spectacled caiman was catching the last rays of the day, surfacing in front of a dark cliff in the Rupununi of Guyana. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 560, f/5.6 at 1/800th of a second.
Impala are, without a doubt, the most plentiful mammal we see on our Africa trips. I often overlook them because they’re so common. But I did capture a few clips of video on our 2023 trip — all on our final day in Samburu National Reserve in Kenya. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, 4K, 120 fps.
Here’s another look at the Victoria Amazonica lily pads in the Rupununi of Guyana, but this time with a bit of reference. You can see the pink flowers have already opened up before it got dark. The white flowers were just starting to open and would be fully open when it was fully dark. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 24-70 f/2.8 lens, ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/320th of a second.
Here’s another shot of a scarlet ibis from my Guyana trip. This location was just outside the capital city of Georgetown. Every night, scarlet ibis, snowy egrets and other shorebirds congregate along the mud flats, searching for a late dinner before roosting in the nearby trees. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 220, f/5.6 at 1/1600th of a second.
The tufted capuchin was one of four species of monkey I was able to photograph while in Guyana. In fact, to my surprise, I found this one in the capital city’s botanical gardens. This is a species that I photographed before in Brazil and Bolivia but always good to see again. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 6400, f/5.6 at 1/1600th of a second.
I filmed this one a few weeks ago in a captive situation at the Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy here in Litchfield, Connecticut. Although this colorful sea duck is known to frequent coastal waters of Connecticut in winter months, its normal range is much further north along the Arctic shores of North America, Europe and Asia. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, 4K at 60fps.
The hoatzin is an odd bird, sometimes called the stinkbird for its unsavory smell and taste. It also happens to be the national bird of Guyana. It’s very prehistoric looking. I’ll post a close up soon, but I really liked this series of flight shots I captured with the hoatzin flying over the Mahaica River in northern Guyana. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 500, f/5.6 at 1/1600th of a second.