Socotra Mabuya (Trachylepis socotrana)

Socotra Mabuya (Trachylepis socotrana)

The trail to Hoq cave is a great place to see the Socotra Mabuya (Trachylepis socotrana), as they are easily seen from the trail. Endemic.


Socotra Mabuya (Trachylepis socotrana)

Socotra Mabuya (Trachylepis socotrana)

The endemic Socotra Mabuya (Trachylepis socotrana) and the Socotra Rock Gecko (Pristurus sokotranus) are species commonly seen in the same landscape throughout…


Blue-bearded bee-eater (Nyctyornis athertoni)

Blue-bearded bee-eater (Nyctyornis athertoni)

My first objective is to get a shot of a new (to me) bird species, then to get ever closer and thus better pictures. More often than not I experience a…


Socotra Skink (Trachylepis socotrana)

Socotra Skink (Trachylepis socotrana)

As I was busy photographing the flowers of a Cucumis prophetarum, this Socotra skink (Trachylepis socotrana) entered the scene and started consuming one flower…


Little egret (Egretta garzetta)

Little egret (Egretta garzetta)

This is the second of just 3 bird species I encountered at this lagoon in the Shuab valley on the west coast of Socotra. Here a little egret (Egretta garzetta)…


Capped Heron (Pilherodius pileatus)

Capped Heron (Pilherodius pileatus)

The oxbow lake at Amazon Research and Conservation Center, deep in the Peruvian Amazon, was almost still as I watched this capped heron (Pilherodius pileatus)…


Blue-banded Morpho (Morpho achilles)

Blue-banded Morpho (Morpho achilles)

Morphos are mesmerizing! In flight you see the flash of blue, but when they sit they're invisible as they almost never open the wings and the underside is like…


Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius)

Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius)

It's the end of the dry season in the Pantanal, and the torrential downpour of last night is now flowing towards the permanent rivers and lakes. In this photo…


Wattled Jacana (Jacana jacana)

Wattled Jacana (Jacana jacana)

This wattled jacana (Jacana jacana) I encountered as it was preening the feathers, and my entrance did not disturb this behavior, so I could watch as it was…


Striated Heron (Butorides striata)

Striated Heron (Butorides striata)

Striated heron (Butorides striata) is a very skittish species, perhaps one of the most nervous of all. When I drive up any river these are the birds that first…