Return of the Bearded Pig
Behold the beauty of the bearded pig. I’ve posted a few bearded piglets in the past. Here’s what those cute little youngsters grow up to be. These guys were fairly common around troops of orangutans. They follow them around and forage for the scraps that they leave behind. Photographed at Tanjung Puting National Park in Indonesian Borneo. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 170mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/160th of a second.
Green-Backed Kingfisher
Trogons and kingfishers are among my favorite bird species. Both are present worldwide and both come in many varieties depending on location. I wasn’t expecting this guy when I was hiking through the forest of Tangkoko National Park in Indonesia in search of tarsiers and black-crested macaques. But there it was — a green-backed kingfisher — which exists only in the forests of central and northern Sulawesi and a few surrounding islands. Well worth the effort to stop for a few quick shots before resuming the search for primates.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/40th of a second
Black-Crested Macaque on Charred Earth
This image was a bit of a mistake. I was photographing critically endangered black-crested macaques on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. When I saw this macaque sitting in the middle of a charred field — the result of an illegal slash and burn fire — he seemed as if he was crying out at the short-sighted practice of his fellow primates. I quickly grabbed my second camera with wide angle lens attached and took the shot without realizing that I had left a filter holder screwed in, causing extreme vignetting at 17mm. But the result seemed to work, as if the macaque was at the wrong end of a gun, with little hope for survival if local villagers continue to encroach upon his rapidly dwindling habitat.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 800, f/3.5 at 1/400th of a second
Thomas’s Leaf Monkey
The Thomas’s leaf monkey, also known as Thomas’s langur, is endemic to northern Sumatra (meaning, of course, that it isn’t found anywhere else on earth). I saw quite a few of these guys while there, but not many at close range. I was told that they were hunted for meat throughout much of their range, so obviously weary of humans (as they should be). In Gunung Leuser National Park, however, they are protected, so therefore a bit more agreeable. I liked their spiky hair and the fact that they seem to have an upside down mustache on their chin. Quite fetching I thought.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/80th of a second
Bornean Cricket
I don’t post bugs often, but when I do… I try to keep it interesting. Not sure what kind of a cricket this is, but I liked the hints of blue and green on top of that maroonish-colored body. It was photographed in Tanjung Puting National Park in Borneo, Indonesia. So if any one has a clue (like my frog last week that was identified by Walt Novak) please let me know. Thanks.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (with Canon 500D close up lens) ISO 160, f/3.5 at 1/60th of a second
Long-Tailed Macaque
Even at a slow shutter speed of only 1/40th of a second, I was able to capture a sharp photo of this long-tailed macaque moving toward me in Tanjung Puting National Park on the island of Borneo, Indonesia. Obviously the macaque stopped just long enough to avoid any motion blur.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 210mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/40th of a second
Black-Crested Macaque Taking Five
Another of Tangkoko National Park’s famous residents is the black-crested macaque. This guy was taking a break after a long day of foraging in the forest. I liked the depth in this one with that other macaque in the background doing pretty much the same thing. Amazing the human-like characteristics of these guys. Hanging with them for a few hours was definitely a highlight of my wildlife viewing career thus far.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 26mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/200th of a second
Tarsier Eyes
These are the eyes of a spectral tarsier. She is sideways, looking out from the cavity of a tree, getting ready for a night of cricket hunting. That light blotch below the eyes is the tarsier’s left ear. Tarsiers are among the smallest primates in the world, and they have one of the biggest eye to body ratios. I had the pleasure of photographing about five or six of these nocturnal creatures in Tangkoko National Park in Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/25th of a second, Nikon SB-800 flash