This photo was taken back in 2007 on my first and only trip to Madagascar. It remains the place I want to return to more than anywhere else. I can best describe it as the only place in the world that doesn’t feel like anywhere else in the world. Especially with creatures like this — a leaf-tailed gecko. Usually these guys are quite camouflaged, but this one must have felt threatened and began to display that ferocious-looking, but harmless mouth. Here’s hoping I get back for a visit sometime soon. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 400, f/4.5 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.
These two hyena cubs were playing with each other at the end of the day while their six other siblings were resting at the den watching the action and waiting for mom and dad to call it a night. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 3600, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second.
It’s been such a busy summer that I haven’t really gotten the camera out in the yard much. The camera traps, of course, are working 24/7 but I haven’t been out there myself very often with the long lens. So this weekend I did a lot of walking around trying to find a few of my wild neighbors. In my garden I encountered this ruby-throated hummingbird flying from zinnia to zinnia. The lack of the ruby throat indicates either an immature male or a female. I’m pretty sure this is the latter. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1800, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.
Predator on prey images aren’t always the prettiest to look at. But I did like this close up of a lion’s paw on the back of a fallen Cape buffalo. Taken in the Masai Mara of Kenya. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 720, f/5.6 at 1/800th of a second.
Egyptian goose sightings are fairly common on our Kenya trips. This goose leading her chicks was within our camp grounds at Ol Pajeta Conservancy. This species is native to Africa, but has been introduced to Europe the United States and a few more locations around the world. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 4000, f/5.6 at 1/2500th of a second.
It’s been relatively slow at the camera trap lately, but I do have a steady stream of these little guys walking through tree saplings in the back woods just about every night. From my surveillance camera, I can see that one of the opossums has been making a habit of crawling up on top of my camera trap itself, and scratching his/her back up against the sharp edges. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 20mm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/200th of a second, Cognisys camera box, trail monitor and remote flash units.
On our first night in Kenya back in April, we came across a large herd of zebra. This pair was playing as others in the herd were munching on a grass, all getting ready for another night in the Masai Mara. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 100, f/2.8 at 1/1000th of a second.
We saw so many giraffes on our last trip to Kenya. For the most part, we see reticulated giraffes in the central and north regions of Kenya and Masai giraffes in the south. This was taken on a very stormy afternoon in the Masai Mara. The skies were dark and threatening while one giraffe after another walked toward the horizon line. Quite a spectacle to witness. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) IS) 560, f/2.8 at 1/800th of a second.
The pin-tailed whydah is just one of the cool birds we see in Kenya on our safaris. And if it looks familiar, you might have seen one in Southern California where they are an introduced species. This is the male. The female lacks the long tail and is more brown in color. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1400, f/5.6 at 1/2500th of a second.
When Karen and I lead safaris to Kenya, we always stay a night in Nairobi — not necessarily because we want to, but because airline schedules usually dictate that we do. Plus this gives our guests an afternoon to rest before the safari begins. That said, Nairobi National Park is always an option that first afternoon for anyone wanting to get a bit of safari-lite experience before the Masai Mara. It also gives us a very strong probability of seeing rhinos, which aren’t always easy to see in other parks. For this image, I positioned the vehicle so that I could capture the skyline of Nairobi. Pretty remarkable that such large animals, including giraffes, lions, ostrich and many others, live so close to a major city. The park itself is fenced on the three sides adjacent to the city, but open on the other so that animals can safely move in and out. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 1250, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second.
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This photo was taken back in 2007 on my first and only trip to Madagascar. It remains the place I want to return to more than anywhere else. I can best describe it as the only place in the world that doesn’t feel like anywhere else in the world. Especially with creatures like this — a leaf-tailed gecko. Usually these guys are quite camouflaged, but this one must have felt threatened and began to display that ferocious-looking, but harmless mouth. Here’s hoping I get back for a visit sometime soon. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 400, f/4.5 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.
