When out walking the dog this afternoon, I saw six or seven eastern bluebirds moving through the back yard. Their colors were still just as bright as in mid summer. This guy grabbed a few berries before moving on. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 500, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.
Here’s another of last weeks nighttime visitors to my backyard camera trap. These guys are always out and about throughout the year. That said, they only have a lifespan of between 2 to 4 years. Let’s hope he/she is enjoying every minute of it. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 20mmm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/200th of a second, Cognisys camera box, trail monitor and remote flash units.
A large flock of wild turkeys has been wandering around in our yard and back woods for the past few weeks. Occasionally, they walk past one of my camera traps. 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 flash units.
As I’ve mentioned before, I get more squirrels than anything else at my backyard camera traps. Occasionally I get something worth posting. Not quite airborne, but the nut adds a nice touch. Nikon D3300 with Nikkor 15-55mm lens (at 18mm) ISO 400, f/11 at 1/200th of a second, Camtraptions camera housing and triggers, Nikon SB-900 flash units.
When I was doing a lot of commercial production in LA, I would always build in a few days to travel up (or down) the California coast in search of all things wild. Sea otters were usually involved. I caught up with this sea otter fairly early in the morning. It was still on land, likely where it slept the night before. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 260mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second.
A coastal brown bear stands to get a better view of the silver salmon she hopes to catch for breakfast. Nearby, her two cubs wait as she does her thing. Lake Clark National Park in Alaska. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second.
It’s been awhile since I’ve been to the southern California desert. Last time I was there, I saw a few of these iconic birds of the desert southwest. They can sprint at up to 20 mph and prefer to keep things on the ground, although when in imminent danger from an approaching predator, they will take to the air. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 270mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/640th of a second.
We had an infrequent visitor to the camera trap the other night — a southern flying squirrel. There are two types of flying squirrels in Connecticut, the southern and the northern. I’m pretty sure I got the identification on this one correct. I’ve seen them a few times gliding through the air while out walking the dog late at night. That will be the next challenge — to catch one mid glide. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 20mm lens, ISO 500, f/14 at 1/200th of a second, Camtraptions camera box and trail monitor, Nikon SB-900 flash units.
Years ago I made a trip to southern British Columbia in search of snowy owls. I’ve already posted a lot of the flight shots from that trip. Here’s a simple portrait of one of the owls perched on a post at the end of the day. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 500, f/5 at 1/1000th of a second.
Here’s one from the backyard camera trap. Deer are plentiful in the woods behind our house and regularly trip the shutter, often late at night. The time stamp on my camera tells me this was at 2:38 AM. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 19mm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/200th of a second, Cognysis camera box, trail monitor and remote flash units.