Due to their amazing colors, ability to talk, and close bonding behavior with humans, macaws are popular in the pet trade. But to see them out there in the wild, flying high up in the blue sky, well, that’s a whole other thing altogether. I’ve photographed quite a few different species. These guys are aptly named blue and yellow macaws. I saw them in Piaui State, Brazil the same day that I photographed the maned wolf that I posted yesterday. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens with Nikon 1.4 teleconverter (for 550mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/1250th of a second
Other than the jaguar, the maned wolf was my next best sighting while in Brazil. I had to take a local bus sixteen hours, followed by a two hour drive, to make it to this location in Piaui State. The first two nights I was there, I did see a wolf, but being nocturnal animals, it was after dark. On the third night, however, a wolf came creeping around while there was still a bit of daylight left. You can see why they call them foxes on stilts. They aren’t foxes, however, nor are they wolves, but rather they are a unique species of canid — the tallest in the world. As for the “mane,” it isn’t quite visible in this shot, but it is that black fluffy tuft of hair that starts on the head and continues down onto the back. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 135mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second
Aracaris are in the toucan family, although their beaks aren’t quite as large as true toucans. The chestnut-eared aracari ranges throughout the southern Amazon basin, including the Pantanal where I photographed this one just outside the lodge that I was staying at. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/1600th of a second
Continuing on with another week from Brazil, here is a giant river otter from the Pantanal. The Pantanal lies in south/central Brazil (spilling over the border into both Bolivia and Paraguay) and is the world’s largest tropical wetland. Giant river otters are fairly common in the area, but it was still a thrill each time I saw one of these massive creatures — males can be up to five and a half feet long and weigh in at over 70 pounds. This one was lurking in a shadowed area by the river’s edge as a shaft of light lit up its face. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 310mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second
Here’s another one from Brazil. This time from the Pantanal region. This is the saffron finch, aka the native canary, or as they say it in Brazil, el canário da terra. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/640th of a second
With the Olympics in full swing down in Rio, I figured this would be a good time to pull a few shots from my Brazil folder. This is a white tufted ear marmoset — one of two different species of marmoset that I was able to photograph while in Brazil. Unlike most other monkeys, marmosets have claws rather than nails. They also tend to be rather small, as you can see from this little guy that I spotted in Piaui State in the northern part of the country. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second
This juvenile southern elephant seal seemed to be shedding a few tears as I snapped its picture. The seal’s eyes, however, were probably just watering from the strong winds that were whipping through the tussock grass on Carcass Island in the Falkland Islands. This was one of those days that the sun was warm and shining one moment and the sky was pelting down frozen rain the next. Typical of an afternoon on the Falklands. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 35mm) ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/1000th of a second
The blue dacnis is a small bird in the tanager family, and one of rare species of bird where the female plumage gives the male a run for its money. The males are turquoise blue and black while the females are mostly green with a blue head. They range from mid-Central America down to northern Argentina. I photographed this one in Soberania National Park in Panama. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/5000th of a second
Sea otters are most commonly spotted while in the water, but occasionally I have been able to photograph them while on land. This one was resting at the shoreline early in the morning and I was able to get a few close up portraits, highlighting the thick fur coat. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/800th of a second
And now for a completely different species of monkey — the black and white colobus monkey. I encountered these guys on the side of the road while driving through Uganda. Thanks to their somewhat unorthodox diet consisting of leaves that most other monkeys don’t eat, they can be found in isolated areas. That being said, in other parts of their range, they often fall prey to larger primates like chimpanzees. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 500, f/4 at 1/400th of a second
We use cookies to enhance your experience while using our website. If you are using our Services via a browser you can restrict, block or remove cookies through your web browser settings. We also use content and scripts from third parties that may use tracking technologies. You can selectively provide your consent below to allow such third party embeds. For complete information about the cookies we use, data we collect and how we process them, please check our Privacy Policy
Due to their amazing colors, ability to talk, and close bonding behavior with humans, macaws are popular in the pet trade. But to see them out there in the wild, flying high up in the blue sky, well, that’s a whole other thing altogether. I’ve photographed quite a few different species. These guys are aptly named blue and yellow macaws. I saw them in Piaui State, Brazil the same day that I photographed the maned wolf that I posted yesterday.
