Just a simple headshot here of a striated caracara, locally known in the Falkland Islands as the Johnny Rook. These guys are fairly tame as you can tell from this close up. They were basically following me wherever I went in the Falklands, hoping that a few scraps would fall out of my backpack. This one spent a good part of the afternoon with me while I was photographing elephant seals on Carcass Island. Although they are common in the Falklands, they are an endangered species. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/320th of a second
For those of you on my subscribers list, I apologize, but for some reason last night’s post never sent. I’m not sure why, but hopefully this one will go through. If you missed last night, you should check it out — a sweet shot of a white wallaby with her joey you can see here. And this, of course, is a honey badger. I was in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve on my first trip to Botswana. Honey badgers have a fierce reputation for being able to stand up to larger predators such as lions. Their skin is very thick and also very loose. If a lion gets ahold of one, the honey badger can turn around in its own skin and fight back. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/250th of a second
Here’s another look at the white wallaby with brown joey that I got to know on Bruny Island in Tasmania. In this shot, the joey had just crawled out of the mother’s pouch. You can see that the joey does have quite a bit of white coloration on the stomach, no doubt inherited from mom. I took this photo about fifty yards from the accommodation I was staying at (Inala Cottage). I was able to spend a lot of time with the wallabies so they were quite comfortable with my presence and I was able to get a few intimate shots like this one. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 1600, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second
I like the way that this one is almost devoid of all color (even though it’s fully saturated). It was sunset in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana when I came across this agreeable black backed jackal. The jackal was very accepting of my approach and I was able to get out of the safari vehicle and down on the ground for an eye level portrait. The low angle also enabled me to blur out most of the background, adding to the monochromatic effect. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/125th of a second
As I mentioned in a previous post, the landscape of Tasmania is extremely diverse — especially for an island that’s only about the size of Georgia or West Virginia. These two photos were taken at Cradle Mountain National Park in the north central mountains. The top shot is a boardwalk along the Waterfalls Walk. The entire track is boardwalk and leads to two waterfalls. The bottom shot is a river along a track appropriately called The Enchanted Walk. Both photos highlight the mossy forest typical of Cradle Mountain. It feels as if dwarves and elves might be hiding just around the corner. Top Photo: Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 200, f/18 at 1 second
Bottom Photo: Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 64, f/20 at 5 seconds
It’s been about a year and a half since I posted a black-crested macaque. In that time, their numbers continue to decline in their last remaining stronghold on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and a few nearby islands. Even though they are listed as critically endangered, they are hunted by local residents for their meat, which is considered a delicacy. They are also hunted as pests because they destroy crops planted by local farmers — the same farmers who destroy what remains of their habitat by clearing the forest via slash and burn. Several international conservation groups are doing their best to save the remaining black-crested macaque populations. One of the problems is that they are so trusting of humans, as you can see from this young macaque, leaning in to get a better look at my wide angle lens. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 24mm) ISO 200, f/3.5 at 1/125th of a second, Nikon SB-800 flash
I’ve posted a few shots of leatherback hatchlings making their mad dash to the sea. Those previous posts have been from a ground level perspective. This one was from a bit higher, allowing me to capture that first taste of freedom. With vultures and other predators on the beach (and more obstacles in the water) survival is a numbers game for all sea turtles. Here’s hoping this little guy will survive the gauntlet and make it another 50 years or so. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 1600, f/2.8 at 1/200th of a second
More Tasmania. I can’t help it. It really was a great trip. In this photo, it appears as if these two forester kangaroos have come to some sort of a mutual agreement and have just closed a deal. I love photographing kangaroos because they have so much personality and you never know what they might do next. This is another one from Narawntapu National Park on the northern coast. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second
Much like the magnificent frigatebird and the resplendent quetzal, the superb fairy wren is a rather immodestly named bird. You can see why, however, with its bright blue feathers and upright tail. It is actually a fairly common bird in many parts of Australia but still a treat to see and photograph. I encountered this one in Narawntapu National Park on the northern coast of Tasmania. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/4000th of a second
I took many pictures of wombats on my trip to Tasmania. Many of those shots were taken with my fisheye and wide angle lenses, showing the wombat in its environment. Others were taken with the sun’s rays spilling over the horizon with beautifully colored clouds in the background. But with an animal as endearing as a wombat, sometimes a simple, straightforward portrait is all it takes. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/160th of a second
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Just a simple headshot here of a striated caracara, locally known in the Falkland Islands as the Johnny Rook. These guys are fairly tame as you can tell from this close up. They were basically following me wherever I went in the Falklands, hoping that a few scraps would fall out of my backpack. This one spent a good part of the afternoon with me while I was photographing elephant seals on Carcass Island. Although they are common in the Falklands, they are an endangered species.
