My top target species to photograph this summer is the beaver. I saw one tonight while visiting some friends in Warren, Connecticut. The light was less than favorable and my goal is to get the beaver out of water so that the tail is visible. That said, it was fun to watch this guy feasting on lily pads for half an hour or so before disappearing back into the lodge. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1100, f/5.6 at 1/800th of a second.
It continues to be a slow year for bear sightings in my yard, so here’s one from 2020. This guy and his sibling were regular visitors along with their Mom. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1600, f/5.6 at 1/100th of a second.
Leopards hunt both day and night. The sun was setting on the savanna of Botswana, but shortly after I captured this image, the leopard headed out on her nightly hunt. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/640th of a second.
I went for a short hike near my house on Sunday and didn’t see too much. But I did come across this eastern bluebird deep in the woods. It was pretty dark so had to up the ISO more than usual, but the files looked decent considering. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 6400, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second.
One of the things that makes the Galápagos Islands such a fun place to visit is the curiosity of many of its wild residents. This Nazca booby greeted us as soon as we set foot on Genovesa Island. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 19mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/6400th of a second.
This guy is actually sitting on the railing of our tent’s front porch. I was on the other end of the porch. There was a nearby fruiting tree and I guess this was the best place to sit back and enjoy. Photographed in a private concession just north of the Masai Mara in Kenya. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 310mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/125th of a second.
A great gray owl glides through a clearing in the forest, searching for its next meal. This was taken earlier this year in northern Minnesota. The late-day light was bringing out the orange bark and shoots of the tamarak pines that are characteristic of Minnesota’s north woods. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second.
This bird was a great find on my last trip to Panama. There are over 200 species of antbirds. As the name would suggest, they eat a lot of ants. They are rainforest birds that spend most of their time on or near the ground. This is the ocellated antbird, characterized by the large, bare blue patch around the eye. Both males and females look the same, with the females being only slightly smaller. Conditions were dark in the thick forest, but the bird stayed still just long enough for me to get a sharp(ish) shot at 1/50th of a second.Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/50th of a second.
An endangered red-footed tortoise stops to pose for the camera. From what I could tell, these guys are the most celebrated species on the Caribbean island of St. Barts. I was on a decidedly non-wildlife trip with my wife and friends, but where there is wildlife, there is a way. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 310mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/800th of a second.
A couple of young wild burros playing at Box Springs Mountain Park in Moreno Valley, California. This small population of wild burros are federally protected. They were first brought to the area by gold miners in the late 1800s and early 1900s but were left behind when the miners failed to discover gold. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm), ISO 400, f/7.1 at 1/320th of a second.