Ann

@stellarpics

Retired computer engineer. Now an enthusiastic photography hobbyist that enjoys imaging wildlife, birding, astrophotography and travel. All photographs are my own unless reposted. No DMs

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Ann@stellarpics· 8d

Tiny body, massive attitude! Pocket-sized Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl in #CostaRica. Only 6 inches tall and 70 grams, but that fierce look & piercing eyes prove s/he is mighty. They hunt during the day so we get the opportunity to see that intense gaze. #birds #owls #birdsseenin2026 #wildlife #nikon #z8

A small, stocky owl with cinnamon-brown and white streaked plumage, round yellow eyes, sitting on a tree branch looking right at the camera.

A tiny rusty-brown Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl with bright yellow eyes perched alertly on a tree branch looking to the side

Ann@stellarpics· 21d

Always a treat to see. Male Resplendent Quetzal. This one's fancy breeding tail had broken. The male and female were busy feeding young in a nearby tree cavity nest. #birds #birdsseenin2026 #CostaRica #wildlife #nikon #z8

Resplendent Quetzal at nesting cavity with a bug feeding young in the nest.

An adult male Resplendent Quetzal perched on a moss-covered branch. The bird has vibrant, iridescent emerald-green plumage, a striking crimson-red breast, and a fluffy crest on its head. Its iconic, graceful tail feathers—which can be up to 2 feet long—extend below the bird but are broken off (until next year).

The Resplendent Quetzal in flight. The male quetzal boasts a brilliant emerald-green crest, a crimson breast.

Male Resplendent Quetzal perched on a tree branch, viewed from behind to showcase its shimmering iridescent emerald-green plumage and blue-green coloring across its shoulders and back.

Ann@stellarpics· 25d

Just had a surprise visit. Sitting at my computer working on Costa Rica pics, when these little guys walked up to our screen door. Just passing through with mom. One is already learning how to stand up and intimidate humans. #birds #colorado #cobirds #birdphotography #nikon #z8

A tiny, fuzzy wild turkey chick (poult) stands facing the camera with its downy feathers puffed out and tiny wings slightly flared, giving it an adorably large, round appearance.

An adult wild turkey hen leading her small, fluffy brown chicks (poults) away.

Ann@stellarpics· 27d

Male Amazon Kingfisher tenderizing dinner in slow motion. Dinner looks big compared to his size but he got it down. Sorry about the vibration. The boat captain was fighting the river current to keep us in place so I could video. #birdsseenin2026 #CostaRica #wildlife #nikon #z8

Ann@stellarpics· Jun 30

You head to Costa Rica with a bird bucket list. Then along comes a little bird you didn't even know existed and it takes your breath away. Meet the Sungrebe. It's not a grebe and it dislikes the sun. What's in a name anyway! #birds #birdsseenin2026 #CostaRica #wildlife #nikon #z8

A small, duck-sized female Sungrebe swims on calm water. It has a striking blue/black cap, bright white stripes down its neck, and vibrant orangish-brown cheeks. Its stout bill is pointed, and its fanned tail rests on the water's surface.

Female Sungrebe identified by its orange cheeks. The male has white cheek patch.

Ann@stellarpics· Jun 28

A fancy Northern Jacana walking on some lily pads. Check out the toes. Slowed the video down since the bird was much quicker than this. #birds #birdsseenin2026 #CostaRica #wildlife #nikon #z8

Ann@stellarpics· Jun 25

Great Potoo. Video shows the bird's gigantic, gaping mouth. Unlike nighthawks that fly around vacuuming up bugs, the potoo sits on a branch and swoops out grabs the bug, and returns to the perch to eat it; like a giant flycatcher LOL. #birds #birdsseenin2026 #CostaRica #wildlife #nikon #z8

Ann@stellarpics· Jun 25

Great Potoo. Ebird describes as a monstrous nightbird and I can attest that they are very large. We were lucky enough to see two roosting during the day in a massive tree. Best camouflage ever! Will post video of the Potoo next. #birds #birdsseenin2026 #CostaRica #wildlife #nikon #z8

A Great Potoo sits perfectly still and upright on a lichen-covered tree branch during the day. Its mottled, pale gray and brown plumage perfectly camouflages it to look like tree bark. Its body is elongated with its neck stretched, head tilted upward, and beak closed, making it resemble a broken dead branch

A Great Potoo uses camouflage, perching upright on a tree branch during the day to seamlessly blend into its surroundings.

Ann@stellarpics· Jun 16

Not all singing in the rainforests of Costa Rica are birds. Here is a Strawberry poison dart frog singing his heart out. May 2026 La Selva Reserve. #herps #frogs #wildlife #CostaRica #nikon #z8

Ann@stellarpics· Jun 5

Long-billed Hermit. One came up to sit on a vine after diving into a stream for a bath. The other sitting on a nest woven on a leaf. #birds #birdsseenin2026 #CostaRica #wildlife #nikon #z8

A Long-billed Hermit hummingbird perches on a thin green stem. It has a long, sharply down-curved black bill, a bronze-green back, and a bold black-and-white stripe running across its face. Its long tail has striking white outer streamers that are blurred in the picture as the bird shakes off water from a bath.

A small Long-billed Hermit hummingbird sits quietly in its cone-shaped, mud-and-fiber nest, which is stitched to the underside of a large green rainforest leaf.

Ann@stellarpics· Jun 4

Closer video of the Rufous Motmot showing its serrated beak. It has a omnivorous diet and the serrations provide a firm grip on lizards, insects, and fruit. Guess he stopped thinking of me as a predator since he would not wag his tail. #birds #birdsseenin2026 #CostaRica #wildlife #nikon #z8

Ann@stellarpics· Jun 3

Rufous Motmot swinging his racket tail like a pendulum to signal to predators that they have been seen. "I see you, so don't waste your time trying to get me." I think we might have been the "predators". Volume up to hear their call. #birds #birdsseenin2026 #CostaRica #wildlife #nikon #z8

Ann@stellarpics· Jun 2

Just some monkeys hanging out in the trees. Mantled Howler Monkeys at La Selva Reserve in Costa Rica. #wildlife, #Nikon, #z8, #monkey

Ann@stellarpics· May 27

One of my favorite birds in Costa Rica. A Northern Emerald-Toucanet showing us that he does not have a bad side. May 2026 #birds #Nikon #z8

Vibrant, grass-green overall, which helps them camouflage in the rainforest canopy. A large, colorful bill with a yellow upper mandible (maxilla) and a black lower mandible (mandible). Throat patch on this subspecies is bright iridescent blue.

A vibrant Northern Emerald-Toucanet perched on a branch facing away from the camera. Bird has bright green feathers, a yellow and black bill, and showing its chestnut-tipped tail feathers.

Ann@stellarpics· Apr 14

Back to editing Safari pictures from 9/2025. Extremely lucky on our last day. One final drive through Maasai Mara National Reserve on the way to the airport we finally saw a Leopard completing the Big 5 for the trip. #wildlife #leopard #nikon #z8 #safari #Africa #Kenya

An African leopard with a rosette-patterned coat and long whiskers, pauses in it walk through the grass in Maasai Mara National Reserve.

An African leopard with a rosette-patterned coat, turns and looks directly at the camera and proceeds to walk through the grass in Maasai Mara National Reserve.

Ann@stellarpics· Mar 18

Digiscope video of Evening Grosbeaks. Day after the snow storm. Four males and one female. #birds #colorado #cobirds

Ann@stellarpics· Mar 11

Hairy Woodpecker eyeing a suet feeder during a light snow fall. #birds #colorado #cobirds #birdphotography #nikon #z8

A male Hairy Woodpecker with a small red patch on its head clings vertically to a tree trunk. The bird has black and white plumage, and a long bill. The bird is looking over its shoulder at a feeder showing the white and black markings on the face and head.

Ann@stellarpics· Mar 11

Ostriches walking in Maasai Mara National Reserve. #birds #nikon #z8 #safari #Africa #Kenya #wildlife

Ann@stellarpics· Mar 4

Video from our Safari back in Sept. This is a group of spotted hyenas that stole a lion kill. Video is a bit shaky since it was hand held with a long telephoto. Sound up to hear the hyena laugh. #Africa #Tanzania #wildlife #nikon #z8

Ann@stellarpics· Feb 28

Some pics of Pine Grosbeaks. #Colorado #Birds #cobirds

A bright, rosy-red male Pine Grosbeak sitting on a pine branch during snow fall. The male has a vibrant raspberry-red head and chest, grayish flanks, and dark wings with two distinct white wing bars. The bird is shown perched on a snow covered pine branch.

A male and female Pine Grosbeak perched together on a platform feeder. The male is a vibrant rosy-red and is in the background. The female is in front and is a soft gray with yellow highlights on her head and rump. Snow is falling around them while they eat from the feeder.

A male Pine Grosbeak perched on a backyard bird feeder during winter. The image shows the back of the bird who is looking off to the side so we see its bright rosy-pink head, and the gray and rose pattern of feathers down the back and dark wings with two white bars,

Ann@stellarpics· Feb 23

Some still images of the Rosy-Finches. These guys have been a bucket list bird for me for many years thus lots of posts. Brown-capped Rosy-Finch is endemic to #Colorado reaching a bit into WY and NM. Gray-crowned have a larger range from NM to AK and out to the coastal mountains. #birds #cobirds

Brown-capped Rosy-Finch with the most restricted range in Colorado and northern New Mexico. Body is milk-chocolate brown with pink highlights in the wings, tail, belly, and indistinct grayish-brown crown.

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch most widespread rosy-finch. Body is the color of milk chocolate with pink highlights in the wings, tail and belly. Two different variations of this finch. Pictured is the plain Gray-crowned variety with the gray forming a ring around the crown.

Pictured is a second variation of the Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch. This is the Hepburn's variety with the gray extending down over the cheeks of the bird.

Ann@stellarpics· Feb 23

A wider video view of Rosy finches. Got some good close up images that I will post next. The birds sit up in a tree all together and then swarm down grab some seed and then back up to the trees as a group. Feeder visit lasts 15 secs but the visiting lasts all day. #birds #cobirds #colorado

Ann@stellarpics· Feb 23

Out birding for Rosy-Finches. Found Brown-Capped & Gray-crowned. They breed at the highest elevations of any birds on the American continent at 14,000 ft but in winter they drop down to 11,000 feet in large flocks. Video of part of the flock we saw which we counted at 400. #birds #cobirds #Colorado

Ann@stellarpics· Jan 24

Since Jan 14th I have been working on imaging NGC 2359. Seeing conditions have been spotty. I collected over 21 hrs of data, but only used 15.4 hrs of data tossing the rest due to poor seeing. I have to say this is better than any previous attempts with OSC camera. #astrophotography #colorado #ZWO

Thor's Helmet Nebula (NGC 2359), a cosmic cloud of gas and dust shaped like a winged helmet, glowing with blue and red/pink emissions. RGB or stars. Equipment: RC 6 with ZWO ASI1600mm. Bi-color image with Ha and Oiii data. Processed in Astro Pixel Processor, Seti Astro Pro, and Photoshop

Ann@stellarpics· Jan 14

Captured this Common Hoopoe in Maasai Mara National Reserve. He very obligingly posed for us in the evening sunlight. #birds #nikon #z8 #safari #Africa #Kenya #wildlife

A Common Hoopoe (African subspecies) perched on a branch. The bird has cinnamon-colored plumage, a long down-curved bill, distinctive zebra-striped wings and a tall erect "crown" of feathers with black tips.

Common Hoopoe perched on branch looking down at the ground for insects. It uses its long curved bill to probe the ground for insects.

Ann@stellarpics· Jan 2

Wrapping up post on data collected before Christmas. Pleiades open star cluster taken with ASI 1600mm and William Optics z63. 4 hrs of LRGB data. #astrophotography

A bright open star cluster, known as the Pleiades or Seven Sisters, featuring several prominent blue stars surrounded by faint, wispy blue reflection nebulosity.

Ann@stellarpics· Dec 29

Continuing adventures with mono. Took a bit since I was fighting cloudy nights; thought I would never get my Oiii data. And post processing can be a major time sink hole. I have 4 different color versions of this target. Attached are two. #astrophotography #colorado

A false-color image of the Seagull Nebula using the SHO palette, where sulfur is mapped to red, hydrogen to green, and oxygen to blue. The "head" of the seagull (NGC 2327) appears as a bright, dense golden-yellow cloud at the top. Its massive "wings," spanning 250 light-years, stretch across the frame in a blend of amber and gold. The center of the nebula glows with turquoise hues where oxygen is most concentrated.

A wide-field view of the Seagull Nebula in alternate Hubble palette colors. The gas clouds form a celestial bird with outstretched wings. the head and wings are shown in a a pale tan/red color with the central body a vibrant blue.

Ann@stellarpics· Dec 17

#Astrophotography was not on the agenda during safari. But it was fun to observe constellations that are normally on the horizon at home straight over head. I did set up a go pro and captured a 1 hr star trail timelapse. Looking north with Polaris on the horizon. Bit different at 3° vs 39°

Streaks of stars arching across the night sky, over Ngorongoro Crater National Park. The North star Polaris is low on the horizon and not visible behind a mountain ridge.

Ann@stellarpics· Dec 4

A juvenile American Goshawk hunting during yesterday's snow storm. He/she caught the squirrel in a tree and then proceeded to try and kill it by dropping it. Unfortunately the soft powder made that a challenge. Eventually seceded and flew off with dinner. #colorado #birds #cobirds

Ann@stellarpics· Dec 1

Big stretchies! Our #safari group came upon this cheetah waking up for the evening in Maasai Mara National Reserve. #wildlife #Africa #Kenya #Nikon #z8