When a herd of springbok are on the run, individuals within the herd will randomly spring up into the air. This is called pronking and it’s a way of telling any nearby predators that the pronking springbok is more healthy and fit than the others. A good way of saying don’t try to eat me, eat my friend here instead who can’t jump as high. Photographed in the Kalahari desert in Botswana. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/800th of a second.
Lewa in Kenya is one of the best places on earth to view rhinos in the wild. We saw plenty of both white and black rhinoceros. This mother was nuzzling her calf late in the day as they foraged on the green grass, courtesy of the short rainy season in November. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 102mm) ISO 800, f/3.2 at 1/640th of a second.
Not sure of the exact species here, but this is some sort of ghost crab that I met on the beach in Madagascar. Perhaps the brown seawater ghost crab or the horned ghost crab. I was camping on the beach on the island of Nosy Mangabe, which sits just off the mainland (also an island). Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 100, f/2.8 at 1/125th of a second.
I first posted this photo about 10 years ago. That original image was a bit too soft in the eyes. But with the advent of a software plugin called Topaz Sharpen AI, I was able to correct for the blur when re-processing. Topaz AI works like magic on certain photos to bring back very natural sharpness, while on others it’s more hit and miss. There needs to be a reasonable amount of sharpness in the first place. As for the koala, it was photographed at Hansen Bay on Kangaroo Island. In Australia, of course. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 200, f/2.8 at 1/125th of a second.
Eastern grey kangaroos are known locally as foresters in Tasmania. These two were getting into a bit of a scuffle late in the afternoon. As soon as they started, it seemed they were back to grazing side by side again. Photographed in Narawntapu National Park. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/320th of a second.
There are so many bat species out in the world that they can be hard to identify. I think this is a species of leaf-nosed bat. Photographed in a cave in Tanjung Puting National Park in Indonesian Borneo. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 290mm) ISO
When I was first getting into camera trapping, I kept reading articles about how to avoid capturing so many shots of mice. Along with birds, however, they’ve been one of my favorite surprises and I look forward to their consistent appearances on my camera cards. Fallen ash trees in my back woods create quite a world for them to scurry around on, over, and under. Even though this shot only illuminates the bottom of a fallen tree, I get a sense of it being an environmental image of the deer mouse’s world. 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.
The Pantanal of Brazil — the world’s largest flooded grassland and tropical wetland — has seen devastating fires over the last few years, almost all of which can be attributed to slash and burn farming and the weakening of environmental protections under the Bolsonaro administration. The Pantanal is one of the most wildlife-rich places on earth, compounding the disaster caused by the fires. I was there in better days back in 2010 when the jaguars, capybaras, caiman, monkeys and river otters had 30% more unburned land to roam around in. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 240mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second.
As I mentioned recently, squirrels are by far the most common visitors to my camera traps. Here are a few action shots, one from back in April and one from a few weeks ago.
Top Shot: Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/160th of a second.
Bottom Shot: Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 20mm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/200th of a second, Cognisys camera box, trail monitor, and remote flashes.
Usually when an elk wanders into frame it’s a good thing. In this case, not so much. I was in Zion National Park and caught this gray fox early in the morning, posing on several fallen trees before heading out to hunt for voles. As for the elk, she stuck around for a few shots where she was the center of attention. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 3200, f/4 at 1/160th of a second.