Just a simple portrait of a brown bear, but I liked the layers of muted colors in this one — typical of Alaska’s Lake Clark National Park in autumn. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/320th of a second.
Elephants will occasionally charge a safari vehicle. Should it be a concern? Of course. They are incredibly powerful beasts. That said, the vast majority of charges are mock and a good guide will know the difference between when an elephant is genuinely agitated and means business and when it’s just trying to give you a pseudo-friendly warning. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 70mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/125th of a second.
This one goes out to the Green Heron Cottage in Collinsville, CT where I had a great meal last night courtesy of its gracious proprietor. Green herons are smart little birds — one of the few species that effectively uses tools. They will often drop bread crusts, insects or whatever else they can find on the surface of the water to lure fish for an easy catch. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.
When you’re the main food source for the top predators of a region, you tend to be a bit cautious. These capybaras we’re taking their time about entering the murky waters of the Yucama River in Bolivia. No telling if a caiman was just below the surface waiting for breakfast. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/125th of a second.
The black-backed jackals of Africa look a lot like our coyotes. They are known as opportunistic omnivores. They hunt smaller mammals, but more often than not, they scavenge the kills of lions and other cats. I photographed this guy as the sun was setting on the Kalahari Desert in Botswana. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/250th of a second.
This is an Atlantic ghost crab doing what Atlantic ghost crabs do — excavating a new home in the sand. These guys were quite common on the beach in Barbados. Their constant activity gave me something to do rather than just lying in the sun all day. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/1250th of a second.
A coati emerges from the vegetation in Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica. And gives us a nice look at that characteristic snout by looking both ways before crossing a trail. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 290mm) ISO 3200, f/4 at 1/250th of a second.
Willow ptarmigan are ground-dwelling birds that range throughout the world’s northern regions. Like snowshoe hares and arctic fox, they adapt to their snowy environment by turning completely white in the winter months. As you can see from the bottom photo, this provides them great camouflage amidst the snow and willows where they spend the majority of their time. I photographed these ptarmigan in northern Manitoba, Canada while out searching for polar bears. Top photo: Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/200th of a second. Bottom photo: Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second.
I usually try to capture some detail, even in silhouettes, but this image of a cheetah and termite mound seemed to call for the full black out of the subject against the twilight sky. Photographed in the Linyanti concession of Botswana. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/8 at 1/200th of a second.
Wildebeest don’t get a lot of respect. I myself rarely post this most ubiquitous of savanna grazers. Time to change that. This is the blue wildebeest, also known as the white-bearded wildebeest, common wildebeest or brindled gnu. To predators like lions, leopards, hyenas and cheetah, they are also known as dinner. I photographed this one in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve of Botswana. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/800th of a second.