This one is from my Guyana trip back in February. Quite a spectacle to see flocks of scarlet ibis heading home to roost at the end of the day in the Georgetown harbor. I used a slow shutter and panned with the ibis to blur out the background. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1100, f/5.6 at 1/100th of a second.

Thought I’d take a break from all the Africa pics and get back to the rest of the world. Here’s another of the giant anteaters I photographed back in late January. It was a hazy morning (no doubt exacerbated by all fires in the area at the time) when we came upon this mother with a baby on her back, doing what anteaters do and checking all the nearby trees for breakfast before taking a nap for the rest of the day. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 3600, f/5.6 at 1/250th of a second.

Here’s another shot of the giant anteater we found walking beneath the rising sun. This species is solitary, and the only times you see two together is when a mother has a pup, when mating, or when males challenge each other over territory. They can grow to 7 and a half feet in length and weigh up to 110 pounds — quite a sight lumbering across the savanna. They also live in rainforests and are adaptable to multiple habitats. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 130mm) ISO 140, f/2.8 at 1/250th of a second.

Here’s another look at the Guianan cock-of-the-rock. I was there during breeding season in late January/early February and the males were all showing their finest plumage. Unfortunately, it started raining pretty hard before the female had the opportunity to choose her mate (of the four or so vying for her attention). As you can see, this guy had a particularly nice pair of bloomers on. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 5000, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second.

The tropical kingbird is another of the species I photographed recently in Guyana. These are very common birds, ranging from the southern United States on down through most of South America. But what I like in this shot is the choice of perch. Lotus pods are what remains after the flowers have bloomed and the petals have fallen off. Each of those holes contains a seed. From what I understand, the seeds can remain viable for hundreds of years — in fact, seeds have been known to germinate 1300 years after formation. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm lens, ISO 1600, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second.

Here’s another shot of the mother giant anteater with her pup. I was downwind so they had no idea I was there and they walked right past. Having a silent shutter really came in handy. Photographed in the Rupununi savanna of Guyana. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 500, f/4 at 1/500th of a second.

There are about thirty species of parrot in the genus Amazona, collectively known as the Amazon parrots. They are medium sized parrots with short tails and predominantly green feathers with areas of bright coloration. They range from South America up into Mexico and the Caribbean islands. This is the Festive Amazon, photographed in Guyana on my recent trip. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 2200, f/5.6 at 1/1600th of a second.

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.