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.

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.