Nikon D700 with Nikkor 105 macro lens, ISO 1600, f/13 at 1/125th of a second

Nikon D700 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 800, f/8 at 1/160th of a second (- 1/3 stop ev)

Nikon D700 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 1600, f/13 at 1/200th of a second

I thought that this rather interesting insect warranted three angles. It’s called a dead leaf mantis. There are many species of dead leaf mantises and as the name suggests, they mimic dead leaves. Like yesterday’s bird, this guy was also photographed in the cloud forest of Ecuador. Unlike the bird, I don’t have a dead leaf mantis call to share.

This colorful little tanager, the moss-beaked tanager, was just one of the many beautiful birds that we saw in the cloud forest of Ecuador. Click below to hear its call.
Moss-beaked Tanager

The male magnificent frigatebird and its balloon-like red throat pouch is one of the iconic images of the Galapagos Islands. The males will inflate their pouches during the mating season to attract females. This guy seems to have been successful in his mission.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/3200th of a second (-1/3 stop ev)

Marine iguanas seem to be everywhere in the Galapagos Islands. While snorkeling one day, I came across these guys, sunning themselves while their tails dangled in the water. Marine iguanas have longer tails than their land counterparts, allowing them to easily move through the water.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 35mm) ISO 400, f/10 at 1/500th of a second, Ikelite housing with 8 inch dome port

Brown pelicans are fairly common throughout a large part of the Americas. This one was patrolling the coastline of Santa Cruz in the Galapagos Islands, searching for fish. They dive at high speeds, submerging themselves completely in the water before surfacing, spilling the excess water from their throat pouches and swallowing their prey.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/5000th of a second (-1/3 stop ev)

No owl to post today, but this lovely little bird sure does sound like one. This is the rufous motmot and we had the pleasure of meeting one another in the cloud forest of Ecuador. Take a listen to the call below.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/100th of a second (-1/3 stop ev)
13 Rufous Capped Motmot

You don’t get to see the characteristic red feet of these two boobies, but you can see their very colorful faces. This nesting pair was in the midst of a mating display when we walked past. It was the first full day of our Galapagos trip and we were on the island of Genovesa.
Top photo — Nikon D700 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 400, f/7.1 at 1/250th of a second
Bottom photo — Nikon D700 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 400, f/5 at 1/500th of a second

Just a simple composition of a magnificent frigatebird silhouetted above the Bolivar Channel in the Galapagos Islands. These large, somewhat prehistoric looking birds, were always circling above our boat while we sailed from one island to another.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 800, f/18 at 1/40th of a second

Along with the barn owl that I posted a while back, this little guy was Karen’s single favorite animal on the Galápagos trip. After our seven day cruise of the islands, we stayed in a beautiful camp for three nights on Santa Cruz Island — one of the few islands that is inhabited by humans. On one of the days we were there, we decided to hire a local fisherman to take us out on his boat to La Fe, a nearby island (the government allows certain fisherman to offer this service in order to supplement their income when not fishing). We had the little island all to ourselves and when we landed on its secluded beach, we were greeted by about ten or so sea lions, including this inquisitive pup.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second

Yesterday a bat, today a stick insect. Why not? This guy was spotted creeping along a leaf in the cloud forest of Ecuador. The stick-like appearance is obviously camouflage. In addition to looking like a stick, they also walk in a jerky, back and forth motion, as if a piece of vegetation blowing in the wind.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/500th of a second (-0.33 ev)