For those in Connecticut, tune in to Fox 61 News at 10 tonight to see a story on my backyard camera trapping featuring this bobcat and some of the other wild creatures that have stopped by for a visit over the past few years. This photo is in the same sequence as the shot I posted three weeks ago, but a few clicks later. 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.
Something about this waterbuck staring straight into the camera that I find amusing. This is a female we found grazing with her calf early in the morning in Ol Pajeta Conservancy in Kenya. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 210mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/40th of a second.
A sea otter really digging into the raw bar. Photographed in Morro Bay, California. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second.
The banded mongoose is unlike most other mongoose species that live relatively solitary lives. Not this guy. He hangs with his fellow mongoose mates in colonies. Together they share a rich social structure. True, this one is alone in the above picture, but just behind him and out of frame are his fellow “mob” mates, as they are technically called. Photographed on the plains of the Masai Mara in Kenya. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second.
The southern yellow hornbill lives in southern Africa from Namibia in the west to Mozambique in the east. I photographed this one in Botswana. They are large birds and spend most of their waking hours on the ground, foraging for insects. At night, they find a spot high in a tree to stay away from any would-be predators. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second.
Seemed like a good day for a baby monkey. This one being a hanuman langur, photographed in Kanha National Park in India. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/200th of a second.
Here’s another one from my trip to northern Minnesota back in December. This great gray owl was diving head first into the snow in hopes of catching a vole. I suspect this particular attempt was a miss. It was hard to tell as the owl entered the snow behind a clump of grass and spent some time on the ground before heading back to his/her perch. Karen and I are off to New York for a few days tomorrow. Enjoy the weekend. I’ll be back Monday with my next post. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second.
This masked weaver was in the early stages of building its nest. That ring of grass will eventually be an intricate orb dangling from the branch. Photographed on my first trip to Uganda when I went to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/800th of a second.
The recent bobcat activity at my camera trap got me doing a bit of research. Thirteen subspecies of bobcat are claimed but only two are officially recognized. Lynx rufus rufus, exists east of the Great Plains — thus the guy that occasionally visits my backyard — and Lynx rufus fasciatus exists west of the Great Plains. The latter, pictured above, was the first of the subspecies that I got good looks at with camera in hand. Photographed in the same place as yesterday’s ruddy duck, but back in 2011, just south of Los Angeles. Still a great memory as I was able to get down on the ground as the bobcat strolled past on its way to stalk ducks in a nearby pond. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 300mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second.
Here’s one for the duck fans out there. As far as ducks go, the ruddy duck is one of my favorites, especially males like this one in his summertime breading plumage, which includes the chestnut feathers and sky blue bill. Photographed at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine, California. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/5000th of a second.