It’s been awhile since I’ve been to the southern California desert. Last time I was there, I saw a few of these iconic birds of the desert southwest. They can sprint at up to 20 mph and prefer to keep things on the ground, although when in imminent danger from an approaching predator, they will take to the air. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 270mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/640th of a second.
This is a Nancy Ma’s night monkey, named after a Harvard professor. We were out on the river at night in Loreto, Peru, in the northern Amazon basin when we saw those eyes staring back at us. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/7.1 at 1/200th of a second, Godox V860iii flash.
I’ve seen and photographed giant river otters in a few countries in South America, but I definitely had my best opportunities in Brazil. This image of a mother with her pup (and an unfortunate fish) was taken in Brazil’s Pantanal region. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 270mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1320th of a second.
I was only in Thailand for five days, but I had some great sightings, including this white-handed gibbon. I saw several of these guys, both the chocolate brown morph as well as cream-colored morphs like this one. Photographed in Kaeng Krachan National Park on the Malay Peninsula. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/320th of a second.
The long-tailed meadowlark was one of the more colorful birds I saw down in southern Chile. They build their nests on, or close to the ground. When leaving or returning to the nest, they sneak out (or in) on the ground before flying. This ensures that no predators can find their nest. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second.
What is a Ranitomeya flavovittata? This guy, of course. One of the more spectacular little poison dart frogs to be found in the Loreto region of the Peruvian Amazon. I had to get deep within the bromeliad plant with my macro lens to get this shot of the fingernail-sized frog. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 500, f/20 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-900 flash.
This is the only Sulawesi dwarf cuscus I saw on my Indonesia trip. The lighting wasn’t great but I got a variety of shots just before I had to get back in a vehicle and head for the airport for my journey home. A nice end to the trip. These guys are arboreal marsupials and are a fairly rare species, seldomly photographed. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/400th of a second.
We still have a few slots open for our June 2025 trip to Kenya and Uganda. Reach out for details. While in Kenya, we often see bat-eared foxes, including these pups we came across in the Masai Mara, just outside their den while Mom was out hunting for dinner. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/80th of a second.
Lions often get active just as the sun goes down, making for some great photo opportunities. If you want to join us on our next trip to Kenya and Uganda in June of 2025, we still have a few open slots. Reach out if interested in hearing more. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 5600, f/5.6 at 1/500th of a second.
I visited Sulawesi in Indonesia back in September of 2009. One of my main targets was the Celebes crested macaque. They were critically endangered back then, and things haven’t gotten any better since. The bulk of the population lives in one national park on the north coast of Sulawesi and on a few offshore islands. They are very trusting of humans, much to their detriment. They are considered pests because they destroy crops and fields. They are also hunted for bushmeat. It was one of my most rewarding wildlife experiences to be alone with these monkeys as they carried on with their daily activities as if I wasn’t there. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/320th of a second.