The Flickr Matograsso Image Generatr

Owls are one of my favorite subjects to photograph. This one was found just outside of the lodge rooms with an early morning snack :)

Ferruginous-Pygmy Owl

Widespread and generally common little owl of tropical lowlands, often seen and heard during the daytime. Favors open tropical woodland and edge, second growth areas with trees (including towns, even cities with wooded parks), tropical pine savannas. Persistent whistles and mobbing bands of small birds often draw attention to pygmy-owls, which can be perched up on open snags or buried deep in cover. Color varies from rusty to grayish overall, but all color types have fine whitish streaks on crown (not spots) and numerous, narrow dark tail bars.

Hotel Pantanal Mato Grasso, MT Brazil
August 23, 2024

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

More Brazil jaguar pics from last summer:

This is Cesi, one of the dozens of jaguars named in "Jaguarland", a small section of the Pantanal. She was the first of the 11 individual jaguars we found in the 4 days we stayed at the SouthWild Flotel. We found her within 5 minutes of hitting the water on our way to the Flotel! We observed her for 20 minutes as she searched the river bank for a meal. Occasionally, she would watch us.

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

More Brazil jaguar pics from last summer:

This is Cesi, one of the dozens of jaguars named in "Jaguarland", a small section of the Pantanal. She was the first of the 11 individual jaguars we found in the 4 days we stayed at the SouthWild Flotel. We found her within 5 minutes of hitting the water on our way to the Flotel! We observed her for 20 minutes as she searched the river bank for a meal. Occasionally, she would watch us.

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

Besides all of my Ecuador pics left to sort through I have plenty of Brazil images from last Summer to edit. Here are some from a very memorable evening.

This beautiful cat is an Ocelot. The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches 40–50 cm (16–20 in) at the shoulders and weighs between 7 and 15.5 kg (15 and 34 lb) on average. It is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Margarita. Carl Linnaeus scientifically described it in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized.

August 22, 2024

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

Besides all of my Ecuador pics left to sort through I have plenty of Brazil images from last Summer to edit. Here are some from a very memorable evening.

This beautiful cat is an Ocelot. The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches 40–50 cm (16–20 in) at the shoulders and weighs between 7 and 15.5 kg (15 and 34 lb) on average. It is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Margarita. Carl Linnaeus scientifically described it in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized.

August 22, 2024

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

Besides all of my Ecuador pics left to sort through I have plenty of Brazil images from last Summer to edit. Here are some from a very memorable evening.

This beautiful cat is an Ocelot. The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches 40–50 cm (16–20 in) at the shoulders and weighs between 7 and 15.5 kg (15 and 34 lb) on average. It is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Margarita. Carl Linnaeus scientifically described it in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized.

August 22, 2024

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

Plumbeous Ibis

Distinctive gray ibis with a white forehead and bushy crest. Favors marshes, rice fields, and ponds, but also occurs in grassland, pastures, and savanna. Eats insects, snails, and fish. Mostly seen singly or in pairs. Very vocal, especially at dawn, giving a fast series of cackling notes: "kah-kah-kah-kah-kah-kah-kah."

August 19, 2024

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

#pantanal #august2024 #Brazil #matogrosso #plumbeousibis #CanonR5 #canonrf600

A couple more jaguar pics. These are a few more images of Patricia, a 13 year old jag. We saw her on 3 different occasions during our 4 days on the water.

August 2024

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

#pantanal #august2024 #Brazil #matogrosso #southwildflotel #jaguar #CanonR5 #canonrf600

This is Lisa, cub of Ryan (if I got the spelling of her name right), and she is one of dozens of jaguars named in "Jaguarland", a small section of the Pantanal. She was one of the 11 individual jaguars we found in the 4 days we stayed at the SouthWild Flotel.

August 25, 2024

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

Happy International Jaguar Day, November 29th. This day celebrates the Americas' largest wild cat.

Imagine zooming along a narrow channel of a river and all of a sudden someone shouts out "jaguar". You look up and see this specular beast staring back at you. Heart stopping! We were the lone boat watching her. She must have been swimming just before we found her.

This is Civilized, one of the dozens of jaguars named in "Jaguarland", a small section of the Pantanal. She was one of the 11 individual jaguars we found in the 4 days we stayed at the SouthWild Flotel.

August 25, 2024

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

This Giant Anteater was found at 6am, just after sunrise. This is the best time to find them as they are generally nocturnal. Shortly after finding this individual it walked in to some dense vegetation to bed down for the day.

The giant anteater is found in multiple habitats, including grassland and rainforest. It forages in open areas and rests in more forested habitats. It feeds primarily on ants and termites, using its fore claws to dig them up and its long, sticky tongue to collect them. Conservation status is listed as Vulnerable.

August 20, 2024

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

Kwarup is primarily a funeral ceremony which is dedicated to honoring the deceased, particularly prominent figures within the community, such as leaders or warriors, by celebrating their lives and mourning their departure. It's a deeply significant cultural event involving music, dance, and symbolic rituals, all aimed at reconnecting with ancestral spirits. However, Kwarup also expands to include elements of initiation, particularly for young girls entering adulthood. The broader cultural context of Kwarup celebrates not just the lives of the deceased but also the continuity of life and the passage of youth into adulthood, thus affirming the resilience of the community. During this ceremony, young girls undergoing initiation might wear the calf bands and partake in rituals that signify their readiness to assume new roles within the community. It’s an opportunity to exhibit attributes that are highly valued—like strength, beauty, and maturity—which they’ll embody as future contributors to the tribe. In this video, a Kuikuro girl emerges from her puberty seclusion. Her parents releases the cotton bands fastened around her knees. After months of pressure, her calf muscles have swollen, resembling a tree trunk as a symbol of beauty.

Two more species of parrots photographed in the Pantanal. Both were feeding in banana trees.

Scaly-headed Parrot - Medium-sized parrot usually encountered in the canopy of humid forests and woodlands including Araucaria forests. Green above and green-gray below, with a dark green scaly head, a blue throat and red under the tail. The Pantanal subspecies has a white eyering.

Turquoise-fronted Amazon - Large, frequently encountered parrot of woodlands, savannas, and open areas. The body is bright green with a blue forehead and a yellow crown. The amount of yellow on the head varies between individuals and regions; some having mostly yellow faces. The amount of red or yellow on the shoulders also varies. In flight shows large red patches on the inner wings. Conservation status is Near Threatened.

Poconé, MT Brazil
August 18, 2024

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

Two more species of parrots photographed in the Pantanal. Both were feeding in banana trees.

Scaly-headed Parrot - Medium-sized parrot usually encountered in the canopy of humid forests and woodlands including Araucaria forests. Green above and green-gray below, with a dark green scaly head, a blue throat and red under the tail. The Pantanal subspecies has a white eyering.

Turquoise-fronted Amazon - Large, frequently encountered parrot of woodlands, savannas, and open areas. The body is bright green with a blue forehead and a yellow crown. The amount of yellow on the head varies between individuals and regions; some having mostly yellow faces. The amount of red or yellow on the shoulders also varies. In flight shows large red patches on the inner wings. Conservation status is Near Threatened.

Poconé, MT Brazil
August 18, 2024

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

Two more species of parrots photographed in the Pantanal. Both were feeding in banana trees.

Scaly-headed Parrot - Medium-sized parrot usually encountered in the canopy of humid forests and woodlands including Araucaria forests. Green above and green-gray below, with a dark green scaly head, a blue throat and red under the tail. The Pantanal subspecies has a white eyering.

Turquoise-fronted Amazon - Large, frequently encountered parrot of woodlands, savannas, and open areas. The body is bright green with a blue forehead and a yellow crown. The amount of yellow on the head varies between individuals and regions; some having mostly yellow faces. The amount of red or yellow on the shoulders also varies. In flight shows large red patches on the inner wings. Conservation status is Near Threatened.

Poconé, MT Brazil
August 18, 2024

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

This is the first time I have been able to photograph the open wings of a Sunbittern. It flew up from the edge of the water and landed on the tree in the first image. Check out the "duckweed" still attached to its legs.

Sunbittern

One of the most dazzling of all the world’s birds; the intricate yellow, red, and black pattern on the spread wings is truly otherworldly. When standing, rather heronlike shape but with a more horizontal posture and longer tail. Also look for striped black-and-white head and barred back. Found singly or in pairs along rivers or swamps, usually standing quietly along the shore. Listen for long whistles at dawn and dusk.

Poconé, MT Brazil
August 18, 2024

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

This is the first time I have been able to photograph the open wings of a Sunbittern. It flew up from the edge of the water and landed on the tree in the first image. Check out the "duckweed" still attached to its legs.

Sunbittern

One of the most dazzling of all the world’s birds; the intricate yellow, red, and black pattern on the spread wings is truly otherworldly. When standing, rather heronlike shape but with a more horizontal posture and longer tail. Also look for striped black-and-white head and barred back. Found singly or in pairs along rivers or swamps, usually standing quietly along the shore. Listen for long whistles at dawn and dusk.

Poconé, MT Brazil
August 18, 2024

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be embedded or used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Bruce Finocchio.

Here is a series of flight shots, and were it perched, that I took of one of the beautiful Hyacinth Macaws that were nesting in a tree cavity. The Hyacinth Macaw is the largest of the macaws and the largest flying parrot species. We were fortunate to have a pair nesting in a tree directly outside our room at the Aymara Lodge, where we spent the first few nights while in the Pantanal.

Poconé, MT Brazil
August 17, 2024

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.

Here is a series of flight shots, and were it perched, that I took of one of the beautiful Hyacinth Macaws that were nesting in a tree cavity. The Hyacinth Macaw is the largest of the macaws and the largest flying parrot species. We were fortunate to have a pair nesting in a tree directly outside our room at the Aymara Lodge, where we spent the first few nights while in the Pantanal.

Poconé, MT Brazil
August 17, 2024

Taken on a photo tour guided by Juan Carlos Vindas of Neotropic Photo Tours.