American Toads Making More American Toads
These two American toads were doing what they do to make more American toads. The little guy on top is the male — as with many amphibians, considerably smaller than the female. We were in Tommy Thompson Park in Toronto.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 400, f/10 at 1/500th of a second
Puma and Guanaco
This puma was moving stealthily below a ridge, out of sight of the guanaco up on the hill. Eventually the guanaco caught wind of the puma and made a dash for it in the other direction. The puma, unfazed, continued on her way, as she had already made a kill and was on her way back to it for dinner. Pumas, however, are opportunistic hunters and had the guanaco been completely fooled, there would most likely have been an attempt at a second kill.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 220mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second
Gray Seal
I spent the last two days out on Cape Cod visiting my Dad. He likes the seals — and I don’t take much convincing — so we headed out to Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge to take a look. This is just one of the many seals we encountered. The latin name for the gray seal is Halichoerus grypus, which means hooked nosed sea pig. I can kind of see that.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second
Young Tasmanian Devils
These two young Tasmanian devils provide hope for the future as part of the statewide breeding program to repopulate the species. The Tasmanian devil is currently on the brink of extinction due to the devastating facial tumor disease. The disease is highly contagious so devils may have to go extinct in the wild before the healthy populations can be successfully reintroduced.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 240mm) ISO 2500, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second
Long-Tailed Macaque
Even at a slow shutter speed of only 1/40th of a second, I was able to capture a sharp photo of this long-tailed macaque moving toward me in Tanjung Puting National Park on the island of Borneo, Indonesia. Obviously the macaque stopped just long enough to avoid any motion blur.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 210mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/40th of a second
Southern Crested Caracara
I saw lots of these raptors in Chile. This is the southern crested caracara, formerly thought to be the same species as the northern crested caracara. The northern species ranges as far north as the extreme southern portions of the US, whereas this guy can be found from mid Brazil on down to the tip of South America. For this image, I was able to capture a bit of the fall colors — in the top third of the frame — that defined much of the landscape en route to Torres Del Paine.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/1250th of a second
Backlit Guanaco
As I mentioned previously, the guanacos on my Chilean trip were great subjects due to their iconic shape and the fact that they were so ubiquitous throughout Torres Del Paine National Park. I photographed this one late in the day while waiting for the puma that I posted on Monday to get back to her kill.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/4000th of a second
Florida Box Turtle
This Florida box turtle was eyeing me cautiously as I got down on the ground for a quick portrait. I was in Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida, on my never ending — and most likely never-to-be-realized — search for a Florida panther. We all have our dreams. In the meantime, enjoy the turtle.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 300mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second