These two polar bears were passing the time waiting for the Hudson Bay to freeze over so they could go hunt for seals. This was nothing more than a playful challenge — who can open his mouth the widest. Or maybe they were just checking each other’s breath? Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second.
Dark-eyed juncos aren’t very flashy, but they make up for it in personality. They’re quite common and we see them around the yard throughout the year. They like to spend a lot of time on the ground, mainly eating insects and seeds. I had my camera trap set up on the edge of the yard during a snowstorm last winter to capture this one. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/200th of a second, Cognisys camera box, trigger and remote flash units.
This one is going back aways to my second trip to Costa Rica in 2007 — a northern ghost bat. It was watching over me, roosting daily just outside my bungalow. The species obviously gets its name from the almost pure white color of its fur. They are fairly rare, so a good find, although I think this one was a bit of a celebrity back in the day due to its preferred roosting spot. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 340mm with 1.7 teleconverter) ISO 200, f/4.8 at 1/8th of a second.
It was a spring snowstorm when I photographed this pronghorn in Yellowstone National Park. Likely just chewing on some grass, but I like to think that he was trying to catch snowflakes with his tongue. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 310mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.
I went out to check on my camera trap this weekend and was very excited to see that a bobcat stopped by for a visit. This is the second time I’ve been able to get a bobcat and both times I was set up for raccoons and opossums and the other small mammals that use this fallen tree to get around — not for the larger ground travelers like bobcat, coyote, deer and bear. This is my three-flash set up, one in a tree above and to the right of the bobcat, one to the left of the bobcat, sitting on another fallen tree, and one on the ground behind the fallen tree pointing up to get the nice backlight on the fur. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 20mm lens, ISO 500, f/14 at 1/200th of a second, Cognisys camera box, trail monitor and remote flash units.
Cycling through my archives today I found a few images from my trip to Brazil back in 2010 that I had yet to process. We were just about to sit down for dinner when this maned wolf came strolling through camp on those long legs, presumably to see what smelled so good. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 35mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/200th of a second.
Here’s another shot of the mink I photographed last month in northern Minnesota. He/she didn’t stray far from the den, but did come out and spin around a bit, likely cleaning off from breakfast before heading in for a nap. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second.
There are three different species of bear in the United States — the black, brown and polar bear. The term grizzly bear refers to the subspecies of the brown bear that ranges from Alaska down into Wyoming, also known as the North American brown bear. I photographed this one playing in the snow in Yellowstone. At least it looked like he was playing in the snow as he sat back, grabbed his feet and rocked back and forth. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 550mm with 1.4 TC) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/5000th of a second.
Of the five species of penguin I photographed in the Falklands, I only saw a few of these macaroni penguins. They were always mixed in with the rockhoppers in the rockhopper colonies — no doubt lost, but also able to fit in with the very similar looking rockhoppers. In this photo, only the two closest to camera are macaroni penguins. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 25mm) ISO 800 f/5.6 at 1/160th of a second.
We came upon a pack of African wild dogs late in the day in northern Botswana, all winding down from a day of hunting. There were about 20 of them and just like any good dog, lots of yawning going on. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second.