Being as common as they are, I tend to overlook Canada Geese when I see them about. But when they pose under the Maroon Bells mountain range in Aspen, Colorado in early morning light they can be hard to ignore.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 28mm) ISO 400, f/18 at 1/30th of a second
This African wild dog was just letting out a bit of a yawn before settling down for the night. After tracking them for quite some time, we finally came upon this pack of wild dogs late afternoon in northern Botswana.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 400, f/5 at 1/400th of a second
I photographed this paca on my second visit to Costa Rica back in 2007. I’ve now been three times to Costa Rica and twice to Panama but this is the only paca that I’ve been able to photograph. Apparently they are good eating to the Central American locals so I can see why they’d be a bit weary of my presence. They are also sometimes called gibnuts (great name) or royal rats (not so good). They are large members of the rodent family and have characteristic stripes and dots on the sides of their bodies. Pacas also happen to be pretty stealth — they are great swimmers and can dive underwater for fifteen minutes at a time when threatened. They can also jump more than three feet off the ground and, if need be, they can remain perfectly still for 45 minutes. This one wasn’t far from the lodge I was staying at in Pavones, Costa Rica. I was on a solo night hike so not exactly easy to get the shot, but perhaps the paca was a bit more relaxed because I was alone.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second
This certainly isn’t the most artistic or technically sound photo I’ve ever taken and I wouldn’t have posted it unless… it also happened to be one of the most rare primates in the world. In fact, scientists had presumed the greater bamboo lemur to be extinct until a small population of them were found in central Madagascar back in 1986. I was lucky enough to spot a pair in Ranomafana National Park when I visited back in 2007. They didn’t stick around for long and I was only able to snap off a few frames in the rainy forest. The future, unfortunately, doesn’t look bright for greater bamboo lemurs as slash and burn farming, mining, bamboo logging and hunting continue to pose a critical threat.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-600 flash
It’s easy to see why these lizards are often referred to as the Spiderman lizard. The more common common name is the red-headed agama lizard, also known as the red-headed rock agama. This one was taking in the sun atop a rock in the Masai Mara of Kenya.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/400th of a second
Florida’s Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge may sound weird, but it is well known as one of the country’s top birding spots. You never know what you’ll find on any given trip. Sometimes spoonbills, sometimes owls, sometimes green herons. The green heron isn’t exactly green as you can see but it does have a bit of green on the feathers. This little guy (and they are little for herons) seemed to have just a face growing out of that maroon chest.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/250th of a second
I went to visit my father this weekend up on Cape Cod and we got out on a boat on Sunday to do a bit of seal watching. It was grey and overcast, which ended up being perfect conditions to photograph the resident population of grey seals. The scientific name for the grey seal is Halichoerus grypus, which means hooked-nosed sea pig. I’ll upload a few profile shots in a future post to show the characteristic hooked nose. For now, I liked the soft grey of the water surrounding the seal in the first shot and the detail of the face in the second. The seal population has really swelled on Cape Cod in recent years. Especially the grey seals, but also harbor seals. And of course, along with that — more sharks.
Top Photo — Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/5000th of a second
Bottom Photo — Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 270mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second
As the weather heats up, thought it would be a good time to post another polar bear. This guy appeared to be catching snowflakes on his tongue, although he was really just giving his paws a good lick.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/320th of a second
This squirrel monkey looked like he was going incognito in a black wig with matching goatee. Cute little guy, nonetheless. I took the photo from a canoe while on Lake Chalalan in Madidi National Park in the Bolivian Amazon.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second
Venice Rookery in Florida is one of the best places in the country to photograph wading birds like great egrets, blue herons, night herons and anhingas. The birds spend all day collecting nesting material and flying back to the rookery with branches in their beaks. Flight shots are easily had. That said, I preferred this photo of two egrets back at the nest showing each other a little love. They were in full breeding plumage with their green lores surrounding their eyes.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/7.1 at 1/1000th of a second
