Spotting a leopard is always at the top of the wish list on our African safaris. Even better to find one in a great setting like this. We were able to observe her for awhile while resting on that fallen tree. Eventually she began her hunt, climbed a tree and then disappeared into the tall grasses and scrub brush of Samburu National Reserve in Kenya. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second.
I posted a similar image a few years back of this scene — a moose cow (on the left) and her grown bull foraging by a frosty creek. This was in Montana, just outside the northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 70mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/500th of a second.
A tiny little Uakari poison frog, sits in the leaf litter on the rainforest floor in the Peruvian Amazon. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 400, f/3.3 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-900 flash with softbox.
While out searching for giant anteaters on the Rupununi savanna grasslands of Guyana, I ran into quite a few of these fork-tailed flycatchers. You can obviously see where it gets its name. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 72, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second.
We were heading to dinner while in the Ol Pajeta Conservancy of Kenya when we spotted this African savanna hare behind our tent. It was well past sunset, but the lights from the nearby pathway and dining area were enough to illuminate the scene. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 12800, f/5.6 at 1/30th of a second.
Always fun when an elephant suddenly appears out of the bushes. This was a relatively young elephant, intent on crossing the road just as we were driving past, but allowing me to use a wide angle lens to grab a few photos. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 24-70mm lens (at 30.5mm) ISO 360, f/4 at 1/640th of a second.
Black-backed jackals are the most common canid we see on our Africa trips. That said, it’s not as if they’re all over the place — always nice to get a few sightings. They are often encountered in pairs. These two were getting a good look at us before getting back to their search for food. They are hunters as well as scavengers and will often try to boldly annoy a lion off a kill. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.
This little snapping turtle couldn’t have been more than a couple of inches in length. It was crossing the trail I was hiking on this past week in Westerly, Rhode Island. I dropped down to the ground for a few shots before it disappeared into the bushes, presumably on its way to a water source. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1100, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second.
Just back from a week in Rhode Island that was more about visiting family and friends (and attending my niece’s wedding) than anything else, but I did manage to squeeze in some wildlife time too. Goldfinches seemed to be everywhere on a few short hikes I took in the Avondale section of Westerly. The wildflowers were in full bloom providing a nice setting for all the activity. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 720, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second.
This will be the only post this week as Karen and I will be off to my niece’s wedding for a few days. Always nice when the animals move to the ridge line, especially with dramatic sunrise clouds. Topi are a common antelope on the plains of the Masai Mara in Kenya. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 90mm) ISO 110, f/2.8 at 1/500th of a second.