My top target species to photograph this summer is the beaver. I saw one tonight while visiting some friends in Warren, Connecticut. The light was less than favorable and my goal is to get the beaver out of water so that the tail is visible. That said, it was fun to watch this guy feasting on lily pads for half an hour or so before disappearing back into the lodge. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1100, f/5.6 at 1/800th of a second.

It continues to be a slow year for bear sightings in my yard, so here’s one from 2020. This guy and his sibling were regular visitors along with their Mom. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1600, f/5.6 at 1/100th of a second.

I went for a short hike near my house on Sunday and didn’t see too much. But I did come across this eastern bluebird deep in the woods. It was pretty dark so had to up the ISO more than usual, but the files looked decent considering. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 6400, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second.

A great gray owl glides through a clearing in the forest, searching for its next meal. This was taken earlier this year in northern Minnesota. The late-day light was bringing out the orange bark and shoots of the tamarak pines that are characteristic of Minnesota’s north woods. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second.

A couple of young wild burros playing at Box Springs Mountain Park in Moreno Valley, California. This small population of wild burros are federally protected. They were first brought to the area by gold miners in the late 1800s and early 1900s but were left behind when the miners failed to discover gold. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm), ISO 400, f/7.1 at 1/320th of a second.

Occasionally I see a pileated woodpecker in my yard in Connecticut. On my recent trip to Florida, I saw them all over the place in the Corkscrew Swamp area. These are the largest woodpeckers in the United States (assuming you consider the ivory-billed woodpecker extinct) and third largest in the world. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/250th of a second.

I’ve placed my camera trap in a new spot in our back woods which seems to be a highly travelled area for certain nighttime visitors. In addition to this coyote, a bear passed through shortly after early Monday morning. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 20mm lens, ISO 500, f/14 at 1/200th of a second.

This is a white-eyed vireo. A hungry white-eyed vireo. Doing what hungry white-eyed vireos do when they get hungry. Another from last week’s trip to southwest Florida. Spotting help from my Mom on this one. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1600, f/5.6 at 1/800th of a second.

While I was scanning the trees for birds in Florida’s Corkscrew Swamp, I spotted this young raccoon filling up on berries. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second.

Here’s another one from this week’s trip to Florida. I’m not great with hawk identification so please correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe this to be a juvenile Cooper’s hawk. With just a headshot, you can’t see the banding on the tail, shape of tail feathers and chest pattern, all of which suggest Cooper’s. I also saw many other hawks while hiking through the swamp, including several other (alleged) species, so I’ll post a few of them soon. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/100th of a second.