Like yesterday, here’s another sunset shot, but with a completely different animal in a completely different part of the world — a prairie dog in the Badlands of South Dakota. I liked that there are three almost evenly distributed colors in the composition. I used a graduated neutral density filter to hold the color in the sky while exposing for the foreground.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 250mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/2500th of a second
My favorite time of the day on Sea Lion Island in the Falklands was just after sunset when the last of the penguins were heading in from the sea, the orcas were patrolling the shoreline for sea lions and seals, and the receding surf created saturated reflections of the gentoos as they scurried back to their respective colonies.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 70mm) ISO 1000, f/2.8 at 1/200th of a second
This is a bit of an unusual post for me because there are no animals, and the hand of man is in the landscape. Even so, I always liked this one from my Madagascar trip. The tree in the background is a baobab. In the foreground are young sisal plants, part of a sisal plantation. Unfortunately, many of the original baobabs (and other native forests) were cleared for crops, cattle and other farming. At least a few of the old trees still remain. There are eight species of baobabs in the world — six occur on Madagascar, one on mainland Africa, and the other in Australia. I’ve often said that Madagascar is my favorite exotic location and I vow to get back some day. When I do, I’d like to visit the southwestern coast where most of the baobabs can be found.
Nikon D40x with Nikkor 18-55mm lens (at 35mm) ISO 100, f/6.3 at 1/100th of a second
It’s been a while since I posted anything from the California tide pools. I photographed this bat star in the seagrass a few years back in Montana De Oro State Park in Los Osos, along the central coast. It’s hard to think of sea stars as animals, let alone fighters, but they will often battle each other when crossing paths. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see this guy flex his muscles, as any would-be challengers were nowhere to be found.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 200, f/16 at 1/20th of a second
These two fine looking birds are the only true feathered locals in the Falkland Islands. Both endemic to the Islands, they don’t live anywhere else. The steamer duck possesses very short wings and is incapable of flight. They make up for it in personality, however, and were fun to watch as they waddled along the shoreline. The Cobb’s wren was also quite personable despite its rather plain appearance. On Carcass Island, where I photographed this one, they are very tame due to a lack of predators (there are no rodents or foxes or any other small ground carnivores on the island). Along with the tussacbirds (who you’ll meet in a future post), they would literally fly right up to me, even hopping on the front of my lens a few times.
Steamer Duck: Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/2500th of a second
Cobb’s Wren: Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/800th of a second
A young fox can either be called a pup, a kit or a cub. I usually go with pup. Being a canine it just seems right to me. These two little guys were having some early morning fun while mom was out hunting for breakfast in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second
Last week I posted a Magellanic oystercatcher. This guy is the other species of oystercatcher that I photographed in the Falkland Islands — the appropriately named blackish oystercatcher. I didn’t see nearly as many of these guys but was able to get a few good looks. I liked this one against the similarly blackish background.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/640th of a second
This one seemed particularly prehistoric to me. Marine iguanas are everywhere in the Galapagos Islands. So much so that you have to be careful while hiking so that you don’t step on one of them. They can be colorful — in shades of orange and green — but most are black and blend in with the lava rock that blankets much of the islands.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second
This lemur is called a Verreaux’s sifaka. Of all the different lemur species, I always thought that these guys looked the most like stuffed animals moving through the trees. On the ground, they perform a ballet-like dance as they quickly move from the safety of one tree to the next.
Nikon D40X with Nikkor 18-55mm lens (at 26mm) ISO 100, f/9 at 1/30th of a second
There’s something very West Side Story to me about this one — the Sharks vs. the Jets — or in this case, the Magellanics vs. the Kings. Looks like the three Magellanic penguins on the left mean business while the three kings on the right can’t believe the audacity of their shorter rivals. It’s about to get ugly and only a matter of time before all six break out in song and dance.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 116mm) ISO 800, f/11 at 1/250th of a second