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.

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.

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.

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.

Guyana has four species of caiman — the black, two types of dwarf, and the spectacled. I saw quite a few of the spectacled, as well as black, on my recent trip. This spectacled caiman was resting on a sandy bank of the river just after sunset, allowing me to get a low perspective from our boat. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 5000, f/5.6 at 1/160th of a second.

While searching for giant anteaters early morning in Guyana, we came across several burrowing owls. These two looked like they were having an in-depth conversation. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 2800, f/5.6 at 1/250th of a second.

When I go on wildlife trips I always tell myself to take more video. And then I forget. Last year in Africa, I only took a handful of videos, some of which I’ll post soon. And earlier this month in Guyana, I switched over a few times — one of those times being an encounter with a family of squawking red-and-green macaws. Below is a photo I captured of the scene. Video: Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, 4K/60fps, ISO 64, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second. Photo: Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 450, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.