Photograph by Dr Nicholas Hellmuth, with a Nikon D5 Camera, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4e FL ED VR lens. 1/30 sec, f/11, ISO 5000
Today we are making available our extensive bibliography on Alouatta pigra, the more common black howler monkey of Peten and surrounding areas of Mesoamerica (southern Mexico and Central America).
The entire bibliography will be available as a FLAAR report as a .pdf in coming months, but in the meantime, for students, zoology professors, and people around the world who are curious about the howler monkey, on this page you can find lots to read.
We found and photographed two Great Blue Herons in the marshes inland from the Pacific Ocean coast of Guatemala. These tule reed marshes and mangrove swamps are west of Monterrico, Guatemala.
Next week we will be looking for waterbirds in Chocon Machacas Nature Reserve, Municipio de Livingston, Izabal, Guatemala, so on the Caribbean side of Central America.
It sure helps to have an 800mm prime telephoto lens on a Nikon D5 camera. Because if you get closer, the birds simply fly away.
This is not like Florida or other national parks where you can have a blind to hide in; here in the swamps and marshes of Guatemala there is nowhere to put a blind. All photography is from a boat (rocking in the wind and low waves).
Photograph by Nicholas Hellmuth, January 17, 2021, FLAAR Photo Archive of Fauna of Guatemala.
We thank Axel Cuellar, CECON, and his colleagues and two sons for helping arrange the boat each day so we could find and photograph diverse species of waterbirds on January 16 and January 17, 2021.
We are interested in all flora and fauna that is shown in Classic Maya murals, stelae, ceramics, and figurines. Snakes, white tailed deer, and spider monkeys are the three most common animals in Maya art. There are no rattlesnakes known in the wetlands of the Caribbean part of Guatemala but plenty of pit vipers. Here is a nice example.
We are also doing research and photography on all pollinators and we photograph all spiders and insects that we see during our hikes. Our primary focus is on waterbirds, since these are quite often pictured in Classic Maya paintings and on stelae. Rio Dulce and El Golfte, Municipio de Livingston, are great areas for waterbirds.
Photograph by Lucas Cuz, park ranger, FUNDAECO, Reserva Natural Tapon Creek using Google Pixel 3 provided by FLAAR Mesoamerica.
Happy Holidays! Our very best wishes to you this festive season.
May 2021 bring you peace, joy and prosperity.
From all staff members of FLAAR Mesoamerica.
Second virtual presentation of FLAAR Mesoamerica Photo Essays.
As you approach the city of Livingston, you will see more pelicans and other water birds in Izabal than any other water area in Guatemala. This is an amazing destination for birdwatching.
One of the goals from the FLAAR Mesoamerica photography team is to document and register different water bird species as a support for the ecological data base. During an expedition in February they managed to capture several photographs of Brown Pelicans. For this reason, the photographic report was made: Paraíso de Pelicanos.
In this second launch the team provided a brief explanation to organize an expedition to photograph birds and tips on photography.
You can see it here:
And you can download the Photo essays, english or spanish, here: