There is a healthy population of wild burros that roam Box Springs Mountain Park in Moreno Valley, California. I was there some years back and caught these two chasing each other through the wildflower-covered hills. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 200, f/13 at 1/80th of a second.
Depending on how you look at it, this is either a zebra walking past a bustard, or a bustard walking past a zebra. Either way, it was taken early morning in Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. Kori bustards are known for being the largest flying birds in Africa. Burchell’s zebras are known for being known by many names: Bontequagga, Zululand Zebra, Idube, Bontsebra, Mangwa, and Damaraland Zebra. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/7.1 at 1/400th of a second.
This wasn’t exactly a friendly greeting. The two male elephants were sizing each other up, which led to a brief fight before the larger of the two maintained his superiority. Photographed in the Masai Mara of Kenya. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5 at 1/2000th of a second.
This is the same bear that I posted on Friday. Friday’s shot was with my camera trap. Here are three shots with my long lens, handheld, when he came to visit in the middle of the day to check on the apple tree.
First Shot: Nikon D500 with Nikkor 70-200mm (at 200mm) ISO 500, f/2.8 at 1/250th of a second.
Second Shot: Nikon D500 with Nikkor 70-200mm (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/400th of a second.
Third Shot: Nikon D500 with Nikkor 70-200mm (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/320th of a second.
Marine iguanas are the only lizards on earth that swim in the ocean. They are herbivores and as you can see from the lava-rock landscape they inhabit in the Galapagos Islands, there isn’t much foliage to feed on. They’ve adapted to a life in the water where there is a far greater abundance of plant life. I was really hoping for an underwater shot while snorkeling, but they move much more quickly in water than out. No problem getting all sorts of shots as they rested for the good part of the day on the black rock of La Fe Island. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 400, f/10 at 1/800th of a second.
It’s been about a month since we’ve seen any bears in the yard, but on Tuesday my wife my father (who had stopped by for a visit) and I watched as a young male approached the apple tree in our backyard and stood up to examine the branches for any fruit. I grabbed my camera a bit too late for the standing shot, but was able to snap quite a few other images of the bear. He then proceeded to head toward the back of the yard and right past my camera trap, setting it off. Unfortunately, he was moving in the wrong direction and I only captured butt shots. This was around 3 in the afternoon. Tonight I decided to check the trap to see if any other visitors had come by and was pleased to see that the same bear returned from the other direction four hours later at 7:30 PM. I suppose he’s determined to be the first one to the apples should they fruit this year. Next week I’ll post some of the shots I got from my normal camera and lens setup. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/160th of a second, Cognisys camera box, trail monitor and remote flashes.
A sea otter grabs a quick snack. Photographed in Morro Bay, California. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/640th of a second.
The gaur is a wild bovine native to South and Southeast Asia. In fact, it’s the largest wild bovine (cattle species) in the world. Their numbers have been greatly reduced in recent decades and they are considered vulnerable to extinction (although in protected areas their numbers are now increasing). I photographed this one in India a few years back in Kanha National Park. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 125mm) ISO 1600, f/2.8 at 1/160th of a second.
Weavers are great little architects and seem to always be working on their orbed nests. They are called, weavers, in fact, because of the dexterity in which they weave together grasses and other nesting materials. There are many different species, most living in Africa. I photographed this masked weaver in Uganda. When multiple weavers nest in a single acacia tree, it looks like ornaments have been hung — earning the nickname African Christmas trees. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4.5 at 1/400th of a second.
This moose cow was working her way around Sandy Stream Pond in Baxter State Park, Maine. Grazing and drinking. Grazing and drinking. She even tried a bit of grazing while drinking — on the mineral rich vegetation growing in the middle of the pond. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 70mm) ISO 200, f/4.5 at 1/180th of a second.