Turquoise-Fronted Amazon
I photographed this turquoise-fronted Amazon parrot in northern Brazil in the wild. That said, they are a very common pet species and this one allowed me a very close approach. It varies from bird to bird, but some turquoise-fronted Amazons are excellent at talking. All of them like to sing. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second.
Puma Mom
This puma was a mother of three cubs. In this photo, she was taking a quick look back to make sure the cubs were following her as she set out from her daytime resting spot to hunt for dinner. I was on a ridge up above, watching and photographing the action. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second.
Bear and Her Cubs
Low tide allowed this mother brown bear and her cubs to venture far from shore in search of breakfast. The area in which they are standing is at the confluence of a creek that feeds into the sea, bringing with it plenty of fish. Still, it’s a challenge for the mom, as the number of fish isn’t quite that of a full scale river spawn. Photographed at Silver Salmon Creek in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second.
Northern Tamandua
There are two types of tamandua in the world, the northern and the southern. The one that occurs in Central America is the northern. They aren’t exactly common, but I have had the pleasure of meeting about five or six of them over the years. This guy was my first encounter. Corcovado National Park in southern Costa Rica. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/60th of a second. Nikon SB-800 flash.
Wyoming Ground Squirrel
Ground squirrels can sometimes be hard to distinguish from prairie dogs. One way to tell them apart is their stance. Prairie dogs tend to lean forward (and are more rounded of body) while ground squirrels stand more upright. There are many different kinds of ground squirrel. This is the Wyoming ground squirrel, photographed in Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge in north central Colorado. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5 at 1/800th of a second.
Crowned Crane
Crowned cranes are one of the avian highlights of any safari to East Africa. This particular crane allowed a close enough approach for some nice head shots. I kind of liked this three quarters from behind angle highlighting the namesake crown. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/160th of a second.