Karen and I visited the excellent Playa Cativo Lodge in southern Costa Rica back in March. The lodge is fortuitously situated in the middle of Piedras Blancas National Park, on the Golfo Dulce, isolated from any other habitation via miles of rainforest. I put together a short(ish) video for the owner of the lodge highlighting all the great wildlife that can be seen around the property — six days of hiking, boating, swimming and even sitting on the front porch of our “casita” as the animals came to us. Creating similar video/photo packages for other eco/wildlife lodges is something I hope to do more of in the future and I’m currently working on a pricing structure that I’ll start marketing.

While the boat-billed heron (Cochlearius cochlearius) is primarily nocturnal, it’s occasionally active during the day, especially in quiet, shaded wetlands where it feels safe. I’ve photographed them several times in Peru, but only at night, so it was great to capture one during the day on our recent trip to Costa Rica. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 2000, f/5.6 at 1/1600th of a second.

Mealy parrots (Amazona farinosa) are known for their social and vocal nature and often squabble as a way of maintaining hierarchy and communication within their flocks. These noisy disagreements can involve jostling for perches, defending favorite feeding spots, or simply reinforcing pair bonds through animated chatter. Squabbles can be intense, but usually brief and harmless. Photographed in Piedras Blancas National Park in southern Costa Rica. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.

The scarlet-rumped tanager (Ramphocelus passerinii) is found in the lowland forests of Central America, especially in Costa Rica and Panama. The males are particularly eye-catching, with deep black plumage set off by a brilliant scarlet patch on the lower back that seems to glow when they fly. These tanagers are often seen in pairs or small groups, in search of fruit and insects. Despite their bold colors, they’re surprisingly quiet, communicating with soft chips as they forage. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1800, f/5.6 at 1/50th of a second.

I heard mantled howler monkeys loud and clear every morning in Costa Rica, but it wasn’t until our last day that I finally saw them. They were quite high in the canopy, against a bright white sky, but I was able to manage a fair number of shots, including this mother with her kid. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 500, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second.

Collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu) have an exceptional sense of smell, far more developed than their eyesight or hearing. They use their powerful noses to sniff out roots, fruits, insects, and even small vertebrates hidden beneath the forest floor. Their sense of smell also helps them recognize other members of their group, thanks to scent glands located just above their tails that produce a musky odor. In fact, they often greet one another by rubbing snouts or flanks, reinforcing social bonds through scent. Of course, in this photo, it was the scent of a human with a large camera that they were taking in. Photographed last month in Piedras Blancas National Park in Costa Rica. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 10,000, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second.

I did a lot of shooting of nocturnal creatures without using flash, on our recent Costa Rica trip. For this image, I used a spare headlamp that I hung on a branch behind the frog so that the primary light was coming from over the frog’s left shoulder. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 3200, f/5.6 at 1/80th of a second.

The three-toed sloth, also known as the brown-throated or three-fingered sloth, spends most of its life hanging upside down in the rainforest canopy, moving so slowly that algae actually grows on its fur, helping it blend into the greenery. They sleep most of the day, but I caught this guy up and at it. Well, sort of. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 220, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second.

The yellow-headed caracara is a clever and opportunistic bird of prey found throughout Central and South America. Unlike many raptors, it’s often seen walking on the ground or perched on cattle, where it picks off ticks and insects, earning it a bit of a reputation as nature’s janitor. It’s also known to scavenge and even steal food from other animals, making it one of the more adaptable and resourceful birds in its range. Every day while we were in Costa Rica, this guy would come and sit on the railing of our deck, affording me very close up portraits. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1000, f/5.6 at 1/500th of a second.

The common basilisk lizard, also known as the “Jesus Christ lizard,” is famous for its ability to run across the surface of water. Using rapid movements of its hind legs and flared toes, it can sprint short distances across ponds and streams to escape predators. Despite this ability, it’s even better at avoiding notice altogether, often freezing motionless to blend into dense vegetation. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1250, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second.