We were on our way to the airport when a brilliant flash of color caught our eye. There were four or five red and green macaws roosting in a dead tree trunk, squawking away as they jockeyed for position. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 140, f/5.6 at 1/320th of a second.
You never know what we’re going to see on our night drives in Kenya. Night safaris are illegal in all of Kenya’s national parks these days due to poachers (they are easier to catch if tourists aren’t out there as well). But sometimes we stay in areas that aren’t national parks where going out at night is possible. This was taken in Ol Pajeta Conservancy in central Kenya. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 6400, f/5.6 at 1/160th of a second, flashlight and safari vehicle headlights.
As I’ve mentioned before, I get more squirrels than anything else at my backyard camera traps. Occasionally I get something worth posting. Not quite airborne, but the nut adds a nice touch. Nikon D3300 with Nikkor 15-55mm lens (at 18mm) ISO 400, f/11 at 1/200th of a second, Camtraptions camera housing and triggers, Nikon SB-900 flash units.
A giant anteater heads home after a night of foraging on Guyana’s Rupunini savanna. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 450, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second.
When I was doing a lot of commercial production in LA, I would always build in a few days to travel up (or down) the California coast in search of all things wild. Sea otters were usually involved. I caught up with this sea otter fairly early in the morning. It was still on land, likely where it slept the night before. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 260mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second.
The kori bustard is the largest flying bird in Africa. This one was putting on quite a courtship display, puffing out those neck feathers, although we never saw who he was performing for as he walked around strutting his stuff in a big, seemingly empty field. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 720, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second.
A three-toed sloth eats the fruiting buds of a cecropia tree in the northern Amazon basin of Peru. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1600, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second, Godox V860iii flash.
A coastal brown bear stands to get a better view of the silver salmon she hopes to catch for breakfast. Nearby, her two cubs wait as she does her thing. Lake Clark National Park in Alaska. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second.
It’s been awhile since I’ve been to the southern California desert. Last time I was there, I saw a few of these iconic birds of the desert southwest. They can sprint at up to 20 mph and prefer to keep things on the ground, although when in imminent danger from an approaching predator, they will take to the air. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 270mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/640th of a second.
This is a Nancy Ma’s night monkey, named after a Harvard professor. We were out on the river at night in Loreto, Peru, in the northern Amazon basin when we saw those eyes staring back at us. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/7.1 at 1/200th of a second, Godox V860iii flash.