Bowerbirds are pretty interesting when it comes to mating behavior. The male creates an elaborate structure (or bower) on the ground — made up of twigs and other brightly colored objects. Apparently the ladies find the construction of such a structure to be irresistible. The male satin bowerbird is a uniformly purplish black color. The female is more of a speckled brown. They both have that striking purple/blue eye. Photographed in Lamington National Park near Brisbane, Australia. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second.
Few things in the wild are as cute as a koala joey. This guy was old enough to be out of the pouch on his own (although not too far from mom). Photographed at Hanson Bay on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 200, f/2.8 at 1/125th of a second.
A young Bennett’s wallaby takes a moment to enjoy the scenery in a field near Scottsdale in Tasmania, Australia. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second.
I can only imagine all the animals over the years that quietly watched me pass as I hiked trails unaware. Occasionally, I also catch a glimpse of them. Thus was the case with this common brushtail possum that I spotted while hiking in Coles Bay in Tasmania. These guys are strictly nocturnal, but this one obviously woke up from its daytime resting place to take a quick look at what those footsteps on the trail down below were all about. After I passed, I’m sure those eyes closed right back up for a few more hours until the sun went down. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 135mm) ISO 1600, f/2.8 at 1/100th of a second.
I love birding in Australia. There’s just so many species around and of all varieties. This is one of the more common birds that I’ve seen in my travels — the new Holland honeyeater. I photographed this one from the open window of the house I was staying at on Maria Island off the coast of Tasmania. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second.
Bettongs are often called rat kangaroos in their native Australia. There are four different species, this being the Eastern Bettong, found in Tasmania. They are small marsupials and all are threatened due to predation by introduced predators like cats and foxes, as well as the general management of land since the British settlement of Australia. Difficult to spot in the wild due to their scarcity and nocturnal habits, I was able to photograph this one at the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, a rehabilitation center in southern Tasmania. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/800th of a second.
Wombats can often be photographed at very close range. Thus was obviously the case as this one emerged from its burrow in Cradle Mountain National Park in Tasmania. In fact, I had my fisheye lens mounted to my camera, allowing me to get very up close and personal but still show the environment. Nikon D810 with Sigma 15mm fisheye lens, ISO 800, f/4 at 1/125th of a second.
Sometimes I’m amazed at what I miss while out taking photos in the wild. This was one of those cases. I was so focused on capturing a sharp image of this koala in the dim light (1/10th of a second shutter) that I didn’t even notice that on the last few frames of the sequence, a baby popped its head out of the mother’s pouch to see what was going on. It wasn’t until I was reviewing the images later that I saw that little smiling face. Photographed along the Great Ocean Road in Lorne, Victoria, Australia. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 100, f/5.6 at 1/10th of a second.
There are four different species of echidna in the world. This is the short-beaked echidna. They are interesting little mammals in the monotreme order. Monotremes are the only mammals that lay eggs. Their namesake “beak” allows short-beaked echidnas to suck up ants and other insects from the ground at an impressive speed. I spotted this one along the side of a road in Cradle Mountain National Park in Tasmania, Australia. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second.
Now that Game of Thrones is back and in full swing, thought I’d post a dragon. Not exactly as fierce as the beasts flying above Westeros, but a rather impressive specimen nonetheless. Meet the Boyd’s water dragon. Also known as Boyd’s forest dragon. They grow to be about two feet in length. This one was spotted in Daintree National Park in Queensland, Australia. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 100, f/5 at .8 of a second.
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