I can never get enough of red foxes. And they always seem to show up when I’m not expecting them. I was on the way back to my cabin after a day of photographing bears in Lake Clark National Park in Alaska when I spotted this fox resting in the ferns. A nice way to end a very productive day. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/160th of a second.
The moose were in rut when I went to visit them a few years back outside of Anchorage Alaska. This bull was keeping a watchful eye on a nearby cow and her other three suiters. The misty rain and thick bushy habitat made shooting difficult, but the action was great that day. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second.
The sun and shade mid-day light wasn’t great on this one and I wasn’t even going to bother taking any photos, but then the two bears started dancing and playing around with each other, rolling on their backs, etc. This happened in my backyard a couple of days ago. You never know what you’re going to see back there. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 500, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second.
Adult male mountain gorillas are called silverbacks for an obvious reason — all that silver hair growing on their backs. I asked this one if he would be so kind as to turn around so that I could get a picture of that silver hair. He respectfully obliged and allowed me to snap a few shots before turning to face me again. Photographed in the mountains of Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 160mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second.
I’ve yet to see any skunks this spring. They seem to like my yard starting later in the summer and into the fall. Here’s a shot taken back in October. I dialed the front flash down quite a bit while adding power to the flash behind the log, creating almost full rim light except for the white back fur.Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 500, f/11 at 1/160th of a second.
I’m feeling like this should be a two-brown-bear-post week. Enjoy. This mother bear was racing through the water at low tide, hunting silver salmon for her two cubs who were patiently waiting on a nearby sandbar. Photographed at Lake Clark National Park in Alaska. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second.
This olive baboon was standing in a field of grass surveying his area in the Masai Mara of Kenya. They’re called olive baboons because at a distance their coat can appear a greenish gray. This particular species of baboon is common through much of the central African continent. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 310mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/500th of a second.
I met this tarantula many years ago down on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. When it comes to species diversity, tarantulas are hard to beat. There are more than 1200 different species spread across much of the world. That said, I have no clue what species this one is. He/she was perched atop a giant dead leaf in the rain forest and I used a slow shutter speed with the camera resting on the ground for support. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/20th of a second.
Never a good idea to turn your back on a full grown bear. But, in this case, it was a relaxed coastal brown bear taking a break from hunting for salmon to watch the tourists that were there to watch her. Photographed in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second.
River otters spend most of their time in the water, playing and hunting for food. They do, however, build dens. And by build, I mean they find another animal’s abandoned den and take it over by adding a few twigs and other nesting material. I was lucky to stumble upon this otter’s secret spot, almost fortress-like, in all those thin tree trunks in a swampy area adjacent to a pond. Photographed in southern Indiana. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second.