This one goes out to my frog-loving sister who celebrates her birthday today. Another of the many great frogs that I had the pleasure of meeting in the forests of Madagascar. I didn’t get the common name on this one (if it even has one) but according to my guide, the scientific name is Mantidactylus bicalcaratus. Photographed along a trail in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 145mm) with Canon 500D close up filter attached, ISO 100, f/22 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units
Here’s one from my first trip to Australia back in 2006. I saw a few different species of kangaroo on that trip, including the red kangaroo. This mother and her joey were grazing late in the day near Flinders Ranges National Park in the state of southern Australia. My old manual 600mm f/5.6 lens really created a nice smooth bokeh when the conditions were right with all that out of focus foreground and background and the soft late day light. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second
Just a simple ostrich portrait for a Friday. The facts: The ostrich is the largest bird species on the planet. They can’t fly. The myths: They hide their head in the sand when frightened. This ostrich was doing his best to avoid the flies (obviously not good enough) in the Linyanti Concession of Botswana. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second
This dusky langur caught me off guard. I was walking around the campground that I was staying at in Kaeng Krachan National Park in Thailand when he/she suddenly appeared on a branch just above me. I had to quickly zoom all the way to the short end of my 200-400mm lens but was able to get off a few shots just as the sun hit the langur’s face. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/4000th of a second
Short-beaked echidnas weren’t exactly all over the place, but I did see quite a few of them throughout my trip in Tasmania. Most commonly, I saw them foraging along the side of the road while I was driving from one place to another. This guy was gulping up ants on a small hill on my approach to Cradle Mountain National Park. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 220mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second
The lighting wasn’t great on this one, but the pose makes up for it. This little prairie dog in the Badlands of South Dakota seemed to be pleading with me not to take his/her picture. As anyone who has observed prairie dogs can attest, they can be amusing little creatures. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 600mm lens with 1.4 teleconverter attached (for 800mm) ISO 200, f/11 at 1/500th of a second
I came across this blue grosbeak in Delaware a few years back. They don’t range much farther north than that in the summertime. The rest of the year they can be found in warmer climates throughout Central America. The blue grosbeak is very similar to the indigo bunting, but is larger, has a more robust beak and has the rust markings on the wings. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/320th of a second
Here’s another one from Botswana. This time the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and a southern yellow hornbill. I think he/she was trying to wink at me but couldn’t quite get that left eye to close. I was hiding in a blind waiting for a honey badger to make its nightly rounds and having a good time with the close approach of several of the local birds. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second
A zebra, sort of hiding in the tall grass of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. It was early in the morning and there was a herd of tsessebe with a few zebra mixed in here and there, no doubt doing their best to stay out of sight of any would be predators. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second
This little mushroom was growing out of a fallen redwood in Big Basin National Park in California. I’m no fungi expert so not sure of the exact species, but Big Basin is one of the best places to see redwoods south of San Francisco. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/40th of a second
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This one goes out to my frog-loving sister who celebrates her birthday today. Another of the many great frogs that I had the pleasure of meeting in the forests of Madagascar. I didn’t get the common name on this one (if it even has one) but according to my guide, the scientific name is Mantidactylus bicalcaratus. Photographed along a trail in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park.
