Here’s another interesting rodent — this time from Costa Rica. The paca, otherwise known as the gibnut or royal rat. Not nearly as big as the capybara I posted yesterday, but still a good size for a rodent. This one was spotted while walking back to my lodge after dinner at Tiskita in the town of Pavones. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.
The upland sandpiper may not have the most spectacular coloring, but makes up for it by cutting a fine looking profile. You’d expect a bird like this to be found in coastal areas, but this species of sandpiper favors the open fields of the central part of the country. This one was photographed in South Dakota in Badlands National Park. As for diet, upland sandpipers will eat just about anything, including grasshoppers, crickets, weevils, beetles, moths, ants, flies, bugs, caterpillars, millipedes, spiders, snails and earthworms. All the good stuff. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second.
I find capybaras to be underrated. Perhaps it’s because they’re so common in the places that they occur. Or maybe it’s because they are rodents. The world’s largest, in fact. And they seem to like mud. This guy was playing in the muddy waters of the Yacuma River in the Pampas region of Bolivia. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm (200mm) ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/500th of a second.
This photo was taken on perhaps my favorite day of a very enjoyable two week trip to Tasmania. I only had a few hours in Narawntapu National Park and thankfully the light cooperated. So did the eastern grey kangaroos, locally known as foresters. I had the place to myself as a large troop of them ate, played and boxed, giving me the opportunity to get a large variety of shots, including some nice rim lit silhouettes like this one. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/16 at 1/1600th of a second.
A stump-tailed macaque relaxes in a tree while waiting for the rest of the troop to catch up. I think it goes without saying that guy is in fact a guy. He allowed a close approach and I was able to use my wide angle lens to get him within his forest environment. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 1600, f/4.5 at 1/400th of a second.
Lilac breasted rollers are common birds throughout sub-Saharan Africa, but that doesn’t make them any less spectacular. Especially when you see them in flight and displaying the full range of color on their wings. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/6400th of a second.
Badlands National Park is one of my favorite locations for wildlife. I almost always see bighorn and on this occasion, a few lambs with their mothers showed up. This little guy took a break from playing to pose for a quick portrait before getting back after it. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/320th of a second.
Madagascar isn’t just about the lemurs and chameleons. It is also teeming with frogs and is thought to have over 300 species, 99% of which are endemic. Interestingly, frogs are the only amphibians found in Madagascar. There are no toads, newts or salamanders. This guy is the Goudot’s Bright-eyed Frog, spotted in the central part of the country at Ranomafana National Park on a night hike. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 92mm with Canon 500D close up filter attached) ISO 100, f/22 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.
The chital, also known as the spotted deer, is native to the Indian subcontinent. They were quite common in the two national parks that I visited in India and kept me quite occupied while waiting for tigers to show up. They look a bit like our white tailed deer if the young were never to lose their spots. This male chital was posing in the late day light in Kanha National Park. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second.
I took this photo in the early days of experimenting with macro when I still used a close up filter screwed to the front of my 80-200mm lens. Definitely a lightweight way to always have macro capability when in the field. The butterfly is a Cairns Birdwing and it was photographed at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary in Kuranda, Queensland, Australia. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 155mm with Canon 500D close up filter) ISO 100, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.