Vulturine guineafowl are birds we usually see in Samburu National Reserve in north central Kenya. They spend most of their time on the ground, but will take to the air when necessary. They have some impressive plumage with the stripes, dots and streaks of blue and purple. They are guineafowl and not vultures, but those heads are certainly — as the name would suggest — vulturine. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 70mm) ISO 2200, f/4 at 1/640th of a second.
Waterbuck are one of the largest of the antelope species we see on our Kenyan trips. Only the males have horns. This mother and her calf were getting some late grazing in before the sun set on another day in the Masai Mara. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 12800, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.
Great curassows were regular visitors to the backyard of the jungle lodge I was staying at in Guyana. They usually showed up early in the morning and then again at the end of the day just before getting dark. This is the male. Females are more of a reddish color and lack the yellow beak. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 24-70mm lens (at 24mm) ISO 8000, f/5.6 at 1/320th of a second.
Also known as the javelina or musk hog, this is a collared peccary, photographed quite a few years ago in Costa Rica. They are very widespread, from northern Argentina all the way up into Arizona and Texas. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 70mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/80th of a second.
We were on our way to the airport when a brilliant flash of color caught our eye. There were four or five red and green macaws roosting in a dead tree trunk, squawking away as they jockeyed for position. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 140, f/5.6 at 1/320th of a second.
You never know what we’re going to see on our night drives in Kenya. Night safaris are illegal in all of Kenya’s national parks these days due to poachers (they are easier to catch if tourists aren’t out there as well). But sometimes we stay in areas that aren’t national parks where going out at night is possible. This was taken in Ol Pajeta Conservancy in central Kenya. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 6400, f/5.6 at 1/160th of a second, flashlight and safari vehicle headlights.
As I’ve mentioned before, I get more squirrels than anything else at my backyard camera traps. Occasionally I get something worth posting. Not quite airborne, but the nut adds a nice touch. Nikon D3300 with Nikkor 15-55mm lens (at 18mm) ISO 400, f/11 at 1/200th of a second, Camtraptions camera housing and triggers, Nikon SB-900 flash units.
A giant anteater heads home after a night of foraging on Guyana’s Rupunini savanna. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 450, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second.
When I was doing a lot of commercial production in LA, I would always build in a few days to travel up (or down) the California coast in search of all things wild. Sea otters were usually involved. I caught up with this sea otter fairly early in the morning. It was still on land, likely where it slept the night before. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 260mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second.
The kori bustard is the largest flying bird in Africa. This one was putting on quite a courtship display, puffing out those neck feathers, although we never saw who he was performing for as he walked around strutting his stuff in a big, seemingly empty field. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 720, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second.