Wood Duck
This lovely wood duck goes out to my lovely wife on this, our 5-year (wood) anniversary.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 640, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second
Linnaeus’s Mouse Opossum
This little guy is called a Linnaeus’s mouse opossum. I think. Definitely a mouse opossum, but there are several different species. I took the photograph in the Pampas region of Bolivia. Like all opossums, this species is strictly nocturnal, getting its rest during the day in either a tree hole, an old bird’s nest or simply under a bunch of twigs on a tree branch.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-800 flash units
White-Necked Jacobin
The white-necked jacobin is just one of the many hummingbirds I was able to photograph on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. This species ranges from Mexico on down to Brazil and prefers to stay at canopy level, rarely coming down lower unless feeders are put out. Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to climb a tree to get photographs — the grounds at the Asa Wright Nature Center are fully stocked with feeders in and around the main lodge. Asa Wright is a beautiful place situated up in the forested highlands of the island and is considered one of the world’s top spots for birders.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 280mm) ISO 500, f/11 at 1/250th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units
Leopard Post Twilight
Any leftover light from the day was just about gone when we came upon this leopard resting on a termite mound in the Linyanti concession of Botswana. I used two flash units, a long(ish) exposure and a high ISO to capture the moment just before she set off on a hunt.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 86mm) ISO 3200, f/2.8 at 1/15th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units
Giraffe and Setting Sun
Botswana can be a challenge photographically at times with all the dried shrubbery and branches. Especially difficult when the sun gets high in the sky. But in this instance — with that sun starting to set and plenty of color in the evening sky — I really liked the tangle of all that scrub brush and the giraffe and sun above it all.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/500th of a second
Young Collared Peccary
Here’s a species that I don’t post often but have photographed on numerous occasions. The collared peccary, one of three peccary species, ranges from the southern United States, down into South America. I photographed this one late one afternoon in La Selva, Costa Rica.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 3200, f/4 at 1/100th of a second
Barn Owl
Yesterday I posted two crabs photographed down on the shoreline of Santa Cruz island in the Galapagos. This barn owl was photographed on the same island, but inland and way up in the highlands. He/she was perched just outside our tent, curiously watching us for awhile before flying off.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units
Crabs Fighting (I Think)
These are Sally Lightfoot crabs. That I do know. What I’m not sure about is whether or not they’re fighting or involved in some sort of mating dance. If you notice, little fella has the big fella’s eye in a bit of a claw clamp. I know that they do perform a mating dance, just not sure if the eye grab is part of the process. These two were doing there thing on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Islands atop the characteristic lava rock of many of the islands in the archipelago.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/6400th of a second
Silverback Gorilla
Alpha male mountain gorillas are usually referred to as a silverbacks because they tend to have white-tipped fur on their backs. This guy was no exception, although from this angle you can’t tell. This particular troop of gorillas was unusual because it was so big — twenty three members. And there were two silverbacks, but one clearly outranked the other. I was told that eventually the younger of the two would challenge the elder and most likely take half the troop. At the moment this photo was taken, however, it was time to just sit back, relax and enjoy some figs.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second
Canal Zone Tree Frog
Just a canal zone tree frog sitting on a leaf in El Valle, Panama. The internet doesn’t provide much info on these guys, so let’s just leave it at that.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 200, f/25 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units