It’s that rabbit time of year again. This is a swamp hare, or swamp rabbit, a subspecies of the eastern cottontail. As the name suggests, they prefer damp, swampy habitat. In this case, Saint Andrews State Park in Panama Beach City, Florida. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second.
Capybaras are the world’s largest rodent. I have a particular fondness for them and think they’re quite personable. Unfortunately for them, they serve as a main food source for larger (and sometimes smaller) predators like jaguar and caiman. I’ve seen them in several location in South America in both Brazil and Bolivia. This mother was nursing her pups along the Yacuma River in the Pampas region of Bolivia. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 130mm) ISO 1250, f/5 at 1/100th of a second.
I know I’ve posted a lot of squirrels lately, but that’s what my camera trap has been capturing. This guy was caught running along a fallen tree this afternoon. There’s a bit of a delay with the trigger so action shots usually happen when something else (like a bird or another squirrel) sets off the trap just before the subject enters frame. A lot of luck involved, but with the abundance of squirrels running around in the back woods these days, it’s bound to happen sooner or later. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/200th of a second, Cognisys camera box, trail monitor and remote flash units.
I wish those distracting twigs weren’t in this image, but I really liked the look on the honey badger’s face. A very human expression. My guide and I built a makeshift blind out of old boxes in anticipation of the honey badger’s arrival on his afternoon rounds. I was able to get a nice series of shots before he continued on his way, deeper into the Kalahari desert of Botswana. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/250th of a second.
This one goes by a few names — the emerald awlet, the green awl, small green awlet and a few others derivatives on the theme. Whichever you choose to go with, it’s a fine looking little butterfly, found in Thailand and a few other spots in that part of the world. I photographed this one down on the Malay Peninsula of Thailand at Kaeng Krachan National Park. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 1600, f/3.5 at 1/80th of a second.
These dolphin gulls were pretty common in the Falklands. Of course, I was usually focused on penguins, but in this instance, I switched focus from the gentoo penguin in the background to the gull in the foreground. They are actually quite attractive as far as gulls go with their predominant gray coloring. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/1600th of a second.
Patagonia is all about the majestic landscapes. And there’s quite often a guanaco somewhere in that landscape. This guanaco caught wind of a nearby puma and was heading for safer territory. I had just scrambled up a hill in search of the aforementioned puma. We found her and got a few shots before heading back down and realizing the great backdrop that had been behind us. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 78mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second.
It was late in the afternoon and this cheetah had found a nice resting spot for the evening. Unlike most other predatory cats which tend to be creatures of the night, cheetahs are mostly diurnal and hunt during the day. They rely more on sight than their other senses and prefer the morning and afternoon hours when the sun is still in the sky. I photographed this one in the Linyanti concession of northern Botswana. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/320th of a second.
There are two types of sea lions that we get along the west coast of the United States. The Steller sea lion and the California sea lion. This is the latter. A great place to see them is at Moss Landing, just north of Monterey, where they tend to hang out on empty docks. This guy appeared to be getting a satisfying flipper scratch on the top of the head. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 260mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/160th of a second.
A great egret gets busy constructing a nest. Egrets and other wading birds will spend days flying back and forth, carrying whatever sticks and twigs they can find to build the perfect nest. You can see the green lores (that patch of green surrounding the eyes) which is an indication of breeding season — roughly January through June. Photographed in Venice, Florida. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/2500th of a second.