Coyote on Frozen Carcass
A coyote digs up a frozen carcass in the snow. I photographed this one back in 2011 in Yellowstone. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/7.1 at 1/640th of a second.
Prairie Dogs in Ranger Rick
Ranger Rick magazine was one of my favorites as a kid. Nice to know that decades later my images are helping to inspire the next generation of wildlife lovers. Thanks to the National Wildlife Federation for sending a few advance copies of their May 2023 issue. Only the bottom left and upper right images of the spread are mine (see below). Top image is from Badlands National Park, South Dakota (Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm manual focus lens, ISO 200, f/11 at 1/320th of a second). Bottom image taken in Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota (Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens, at 340mm, ISO 800, f/4 at 1/3200th of a second)
Baby Elephant
This was one of the smallest elephants I’ve ever seen. And the poor little guy appeared to have a foreshortened trunk — perhaps an injury where he lost the bottom half of it. Nevertheless he/she was doing just fine and playing with the other elephants in the herd. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/400th of a second.
Toco Toucan
The toco toucan is the largest species of toucan. It ranges throughout much of central South America. I photographed this one in the Pantanal region of Brazil. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 280mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/800th of a second.
Gentoo Penguin
Photographing penguins can sometimes be a bit like playing whack-a-mole. You never know when they’re going to come shooting out of the water. This gentoo penguin was heading back to shore after an afternoon of fishing. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/1600th of a second.
Jackrabbit At Rest
Feeling the heat, a black-tailed jackrabbit goes face to the sand and uses those big ears as heat regulators. The capillaries in the ears help to cool jackrabbits down on days like this one when it was 100 degrees plus in the Southern California desert. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 280mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second.
Sloth in the Mist
A three toed sloth sits in a cecropia tree in Soberania National Park in Panama. I photographed this guy from the rooftop of the lodge I was staying at only about an hour from Panama City. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/80th of a second
Portrait of an Egret
Another of the southwestern Florida regulars is the great egret. When in breeding season, they develop the bright green facial skin around the eyes, known as lores. This egret turned around to give me the full, straight on portrait. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/8000th of a second, Godox fill flash.
Robinson’s Banded Langur
I photographed two species of langur on my short trip to Thailand back in 2016. This is the Robinson’s banded langur, otherwise known as the Robinson’s banded surili. At the time I took this photograph, it was still considered a sub-species of another type of langur but in 2019 genetic analysis determined it to be its own species. Always interesting to find out that what scientists thought was true of an animal when I took a photograph is no longer the case. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/125th of a second.
Pileated Woodpecker Pecking Wood
While hiking through the swamp in southwest Florida last month I spotted this pileated woodpecker deep in the woods. I was able to find an opening in the thick foliage to capture what looked like some fairly impressive pecking. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1600, f/5.6 at 1/500th of a second, Godox V860iii fill flash.