Suddenly you are not alone in the jungle. This is my encounter with Red Howler Monkeys in Kabalebo, Suriname.

The branches started to move and suddenly I was not alone in the jungle. A small group of Red Howler Monkeys were moving from point A to point B. They did not howler at all and kept moving away slowly. I was able to capture this mother with her infant clinging on her back. The sunlight made sure that I was able to capture their true colorful fur too.

Suddenly the sunlight became a bit harsh and the color also seemed to change with the sunlight. 

Some members where a bit curious to see me too and they even came a bit closer to inspect. Glad to report that they just were looking and not throwing stuff at me. 

Maybe he was the leader. He let the others move away slowly and silently while he was looking at me. 

Right before he left the area, he was right above me looking like this. It was just a stare and afterwards he left. 

Here is the second part of what I have seen in March 2024.

This Osprey took a break for a while.

The Gray-lined Hawk has such a detailed plumage when you take a closer look.

This Red-necked Woodpecker was just on its way up but at the same moment it looked like it wanted to crawl up.

Yes, crawling up to go inside her nest.

The Ruddy-breasted Seedeater paid us a quick visit.

Usually a shy bird, but this time the Buff-breasted Wren was spotted a bit out in the open.

Talking about shy birds. This Great Tinamou stood still on one spot and I only had one opening to see it. And this was the only window.

And on the other hand we have the Black-crested Antshrike who is not shy at all and you can take as many pictures as you like.

This Buff-breasted Wren was playing hard to get with me. 

Sometimes you also have to check places that are not a natural habitat for wildlife. I saw between the wooden planks this Yellow-tailed Cribo taking a break. This one was about 2 meters long so the rest of the body was squeezed into that tiny room.

A common bird but still I have the urge to take a picture of the White-throated Toucan. 

This one is a sneaky one; the Red-brocket Deer. They can stay still for a long time and because they easily blend in with the surroundings, it happens that they surprise me from time to time.

Here is a summary (in pictures) of what I have encountered in March with my camera.

Nesting season was still going on. I saw these two Scarlet Macaws just flying out of their nest.

This mother Squirrel Monkey was taking a quick break while her young was still holding on.

I walked 1.5 km (mostly uphill) to see and photograph this Long-tailed Potoo.

This Crimson Topaz finally grew his outer tail feathers.

This Red-rumped Agouti somehow learned that she can also eat bread.

A couple of Green Aracari's were also busy nesting near the river cabins. Their nest was in a hollow tree that was covered with termite nests.

This couple Red-and-Green Macaw was also sitting in their nest at the River Cabin. 

The River Cabin area was the place to be; I also spotted this young Rufescent Tiger Heron nearby.

During an afternoon hike, we saw a small group of Squirrel Monkeys eating some maripa nuts. Some of the nuts had fallen to the ground and these two apparently wanted to grab them too. 

During a jungle hike you are never alone. While I was waiting for some birds to photograph, I noticed some movement right above me and when I looked up I saw this face looking back at me.

The largest and most colorful hummingbird of Kabalebo; the Crimson Topaz.

I spotted this male Crimson Topaz sitting on one of the monkey brush vines. A colorful display especially when the sun is out, the only thing that was missing where the two long outer tailfeathers.

But even without the long tailfeathers, this hummingbird still looks stunning.

Here he even posed next to one of the blooming vines. Somehow I think he choose this vine because they share the same radiant colors. 

A Blackish Nightjar nesting observation in Kabalebo.

During one night we saw this female Blackish Nightjar sitting on top of the airstrip concrete stone. The next morning we saw that she was still sitting there. Somehow the sun did not bother her at all. 

Her plumage made sure that she was sitting well camouflaged on the concrete next to the tall grass. At first glance you will easily pass by. She was sitting there for weeks.

And finally after waiting for weeks we saw the first hatchling siting there next to an egg. 

And here there are 2 hatchlings sitting still on top of the concrete hidden in plain sight right under the grass.

Final part of what I have captured in February 2024.

I saw this Red-rumped Agouti with a mango seed passing by. When you are at their same level, it looks quite different. 

This Laughing Falcon was seen again near the river.

A silent hunter; the Bicolored Hawk. In a blink of an eye it captured this Silver-beaked Tanager. 

This couple Cinereous Becard likes to build multiple nests at different spots. Several are used as a decoy and one is the real nest. 

This heavily streaked bird is a female Black-tailed Tityra. She was just sitting there, minding her own business.

This is a female White-browed Antbird. We saw her on the River cabin hiking trail. Her favorite spots are poorly lit places full of small branches and thin vines.

Also seen on a hiking trail; a Forest Whiptail enjoying the morning sun.

While we were walking on the trail, we met a small group of Squirrel Monkeys. When they are on the move it is such a challenge to capture them. This one understood the assignment. Just take a break for several seconds while looking at the crazy photographers. 

This Plumbeous Pigeon was seen at the cabin park for a brief moment. 

A Striated Heron tried to be one with the branches. 

This female Green Kingfisher was just looking at me.

This Squirrel Cuckoo was seen looking at us.

A couple Silvered Antbird was near the river. Both just hopping on fallen logs right above the water. Often heard before seen.

We end the month February with this tiny creature; Amazonian Pygmy Owl.

Here is part 3 of what I have captured during the month February 2024.

Inside the forest I met this tiny hummingbird; the Reddish hermit. 

You don't see this very often; a capybara family seen chilling across the Kabalebo river. Even though they saw us from across the river they were not alarmed at all or in any rush to move away. 

This Buff-throated Woodcreeper was sitting at the right spot on this tree. Not in the shades but right where the sun was shining.  Doesn't happen very often.

I captured this Black-and-White Hawk Eagle flying right above me before it disappeared into the dense forest.

We also captured this couple Epaulet Orioles seen singing on top of this palm branch.

Great camouflage; this Green Iguana was seen chilling on top of a broken branch. It took us several seconds before we could spot this animal.

When seeing a group of Giant Otters, it is a game of excitement and frustration. One moment you see them and the next second you don't. They give you barely enough time (seconds) to capture them. I had 1.5 seconds to shoot this shot.

At least the caimans don't disappoint when trying to shoot. This Spectacled Caiman was seen chilling on top of a rock.

We were 'chasing' this Sunbittern only to capture it with its wings open. This was the best I could get.

February is also the month of the large macaws, small macaws, parrots and parakeets. Sounds and colors all in one package. In this tree we spotted a family Blue-and-Yellow Macaws. The young one was sitting in the middle, asking for some attention.

And finally I was able to capture the Tricolored Heron in non-breeding plumage too. Very alert and shy. Everytime we came a bit too close, it flew away.

Near the River Cabins we saw this Red-and-Green Macaw's nest. This one was looking very tired and probably it took a power nap. 

The most common tyrannulet of Kabalebo; the Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet. Often heard than seen. 

Another group of Giant Otters were seen during one of our boat trips. 

And when everything is in bloom, the hummingbirds show up. This is one of the most sought after hummingbird in Kabalebo; the Crimson Topaz. It was almost a perfect capture, the only things that are missing are the two long tailfeathers.

This was one of the largest Anaconda's I had encountered in Kabalebo.

We were first distracted by some parrots right above this spot and when I looked down I saw some weird patrons between these branches. My brains were a bit slow that day when I finally realized we spotted a Giant Anaconda. After taking some photos from the body we all went searching for the head. 

And right above the water, between the branches, we found the head. It was a puzzle work to find the right spot to photograph this giant since we did not want to disturb it. 

When the boat drifted forward a little bit, we got a headshot from a different angle. Still impressive.

And this was the best angle I could get so far. Impressive, beautiful and terrifying at the same time; the Giant Anaconda. 

Here is part 2 of what I have photographed in the month February 2024.

Red-and-Green Macaws seen between the green foliage is always a treat. This was a full grown adult.

During one of the night hikes we spotted this little mouse opossum near the trail. 

This was also the nesting season for both parrots and macaws. So it was always fun to 'find' such places. Here we spotted the Orange-winged Parrots. One was sitting outside while the other (right side of the tree) was looking outside a hole.

During another nightwalk we spotted a different opossum this time; the Four-eyed Opossum. This was seen almost at the end of the walk so my lights weren't that bright anymore giving this glowy reflecting effect on this creature.

A couple Scarlet Macaws were seen preening inside the forest.

Here I learned that even Black Curassows like to eat some meat too. This Black Curassow devoured a whole giant ameiva.

For a brief moment a small group of House Sparrows stopped by the resort too.

When we saw this massive body of a Giant Anaconda we tried also to find the head of the large reptile. And ...

... seconds later we all spotted the head of this Giant Anaconda. It was already looking at us while we tried to find its head. What an encounter.

During one of the many boat trips I encountered a very relaxed group of Giant Otters.

They were spotted right before noon, just when it started to get warm on the river. At first we did not see them since they had almost the same color like the branch and the mud, but the white patch on their neck revealed their spot.

They were too busy cleaning themselves and enjoying each others company at the same time. 

One of them was checking their surroundings while the rest was just relaxing. 

Here is where the 'guard' spotted us and started to alarm the rest. They swam away as fast as they could and I did not manage to capture that moment. 

But right before they left the area, one of them was looking once more at us and this was the moment for me too. One headshot of a Giant Otter.

February was a busy month so I decided to divide the photos in different parts. This is part 1.

This tiny Guianan Streaked Antwren was busy finishing her nest near the river. I tried to shoot the male too, but he was way too smart to pose for me.

A full grown Great Black Hawk is always seen near the river. Either perched or flying away.

During a nighthike we spotted this Treefrog (Hypsiboas sp) sitting right next to the trail.

Never thought that Tree Rats could be so adorable. 

One of our targets was the Sunbittern. A smart bird that always was 2 steps ahead of our boat. The only way to beat him at his game was to switch off the motor and quietly try to approach him. It took us almost 30 minutes before we managed to get this close.

This couple White-eyed Parakeets were having an intimacy moment. This was also my first 'manageable' picture of this parakeet species. 

The boat passed by very quickly when I saw this bird from the corner of my eyes. It was the Amazonian Black Tyrant sitting still underneath these dry branches. Haven't seen this bird in quite a while so I was really happy to meet him again. Even if it was for a brief moment.

This Little Blue Heron was also present during this month.

Seldom sits the Green-backed Trogon so nice out in the open.

The reason is of course that he was not alone. Here you see both male and female Green-backed Trogon.

We almost missed this one. A Red-brocket Deer looking back at us well hidden between all those branches.

And we saw a lot of Giant Otters during this month too. Most of the time we saw them swimming but this time we caught them off guard. They were just hanging around and cleaning themselves up. 

Here is a summary of what I have captured last January 2024.

The laughing falcon had been sitting on that branch for quite a while and when it flew away I was able to capture this fly away shot. Something I am not always successful in. 

I spotted this lonesome Black Curassow sitting on her nest. It was well hidden in a dense bush about 2 meters above the ground near a small creek. 

This Chestnut-bellied Seedeater was seen for a couple of days near the lodge. 

Also captured a bunch of Painted Parakeets. Small parrots and quite agile. The moment they notice you, they will fly away immediately. At least I managed to capture a great fly away too. 

Some hummingbirds I managed to capture the past few months.

This Crimson Topaz was seen again at a Monkey brush vine. The sunlight wasn't too harsh so it was easy to capture most of the colors on this hummingbird.

The Green-bellied Hummingbird is still visiting the area but has also expanded its territory. Love the white socks.

The Long-billed Starthroat wasn't easy to capture. Most of the pictures were dark and you could easily mistaken it for the Gray-breasted Sabrewing. But after days and hours of waiting I finally captured one where you can see the throat quite clearly. 

A quick visit by the Amethyst Woodstar. It was so tiny that I first had mistaken it for a bumblebee. 

Inside the forest I met this tiny fellow; the Reddish Hermit. When sitting still, it likes to move its tail forward and backwards a lot. 

And the Black-eared Fairy was also captured again. A forest hummingbird but from time to time you can spot one at the edge of the forest. Depends if there is a blossoming branch nearby.

The Wattled Jacana has been seen a couple of times in Kabalebo.

Most of the times the Wattled Jacana is seen during the rainy season. Just when the water starts to rise and come closer to the airstrip, we are greeted by this small bird. Quite often we see one adult together with other migrant shorebirds. 

But to my surprise I also saw an immature joining the adult. This is the closest I got and you can clearly see its long legs and long toes too.

Finally a photo of the Long-tailed Potoo.

Potoos are those kind of birds that are testing you out. So far I have heard and/or seen 4 potoos in Kabalebo. Since they are also nocturnal birds it was near impossible to photograph them properly. The Long-tailed Potoo is often heard than seen and finally afters years I was able to see one during daylight. 

I was lucky that this bird was resting right next to the hiking trail and fully exposed. Here it was resting on top of a broken palm branch. Looking like the extension of the palm tree. 

I finally managed to capture a Bobolink in breeding plumage.

The Bobolink is a migrant bird which I have seen coming every year to Kabalebo. It doesn't stay very long. Just a quick break and a couple of days later it is gone. I usually capture the Bobolink in it's usual 'uniform'; brown streaked and quietly eating the grass seeds. 
But finally after many years, I saw one in breeding plumage. What a difference!!! The photos aren't that great because it was spotted very far. I had to zoom in, but nevertheless I finally have one.

This Golden-winged Parakeet was looking for a potential nesting spot.

Golden-winged Parakeets are always seen flying over or sitting on top of the highest trees. Seldom you will see one on a lower level, unless they are looking a potential spot to nest. When I was looking for something to photograph I saw two Golden-winged Parakeets on this tree covered with old termite nest. They were making tiny holes and weren't bothered by my presence. 

This one just wanted to take-off when I took this photo. Right behind this little fellow, you can see a tiny hole. After coming back at the same spot for the next few weeks, I noticed they did not come back to finish the job. Possible that they found a better and safer spot.

When I took this picture of a common Squirrel monkey, it just had its eyes half closed. Almost letting you think that monkeys also have daily problems or are in need of a power nap. Usually they are constantly moving so taking pictures of them can sometimes result in crazy funny photos.

I almost missed this deer because it was standing still right behind those dry branches near the forest edge. Out in the open but still well hidden. 

The White-throated Toucan is one you will likely see or hear on a daily basis. This one was seen out in the open and here you can clearly see the colors on its mandible. 

Red-and-green Macaws are one of the three large macaws you can see in Kabalebo. This one was eating on top of this branch but when we spotted it, it stopped eating and was looking back at us. 

Common bird from the interior of Kabalebo. Usually seen in small groups. From time to time they are noisy and seen very close together on top of one branch. Sometimes they like to wander around a bit, away from the group, but not too far. 
This one was sitting perfectly still on top of all these leaves and the light was also working along. This made it possible to capture all the details on this bird.