Marine iguanas really do look like Godzilla, and perhaps none more so than this guy that we encountered on Fernandina Island. They are very prehistoric looking creatures and were my favorite of all the fascinating animals across the Galapagos Archipelago.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second
It’s that time of year again when the flowers are blooming, the weather is heating up and young mountain goat kids are frolicking in the high alpine tundra of the Rocky Mountains. I photographed this one a few years back on Mount Evans in Colorado.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 200, f/8 at 1/400th of a second
While creating his title character for the movie E.T. it is said that Steven Spielberg got the inspiration from a Galapagos giant tortoise. You can definitely see the resemblance. This handsome fellow was photographed in the Santa Cruz highlands on our trip to Ecuador in November.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 270mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second
It’s been about a year since I last posted a photo of my favorite primate species, the black-crested macaque. These guys are listed as critically endangered due to the continued loss of their habitat. They live only on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. This young macaque was just catching a bit of the late day sun on his face when I snapped the shutter.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 150mm), f/2.8 at 1/100th of a second (-0.67 ev) ISO 1600
This female orangutan appears to have discovered her lips for the first time. And she seems to like them.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 190mm) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/200th of a second (- 2/3 stops ev)
Bighorn lambs can be very fun to watch. This little guy had a friend and the two of them would run up and down the steep cliffs before returning to their mothers. As for the moms, they seemed more interested in chewing grass than in looking after the babies.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I was down in Vicksburg, Mississippi for a few days on business. As most of you know, I very rarely post non-animal photos, but… when in Vicksburg. This was taken from a place called Battery DeGolyer (named after a Union captain) and that monument in the background is the Louisiana Memorial. The park contains over 1300 monuments, plaques, statues and other works of art commemorating what many consider the most important battle of the Civil War. The cannons at Battery DeGolyer are lined up much as they were back in the spring of 1863.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm (at 19mm) ISO 200, f/22, various shutter speeds (HDR image combining five exposures)
I had to be in Vicksburg, Mississippi for a few days for work. I was able to get out and explore on my own on Sunday and made it out to the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana. I didn’t see much — other than a bunch of hummingbirds. The ruby throated hummingbird is the smallest species of hummingbird and the only in the United States that regularly nests east of the Mississippi.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 210mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/2500th of a second, Nikon SB-900 flash
November is the time of year for baby zebras on the Laikipia Plains of Kenya. It’s also the time of year for the short rains. In this photo I got both.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/500th of a second
This blue footed booby chick kept trying to get its mother to regurgitate dinner. The chick was relentless, constantly pecking at the mother’s throat. The mom kept trying to walk away, but the chick would just follow wherever she went.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/2000th of a second