Black-capped chickadees are pretty common birds in our yard, but they don’t often fly in front of my camera trap. I caught (or should I say my remote triggers caught) this one at just the right time. The lowered power settings of my flash units were able to freeze the action against the dark backdrop of the forest. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/160th of a second, Cognisys camera box, trail monitor and remote flashes.

Two mountain goat kids hang out in their high-altitude terrain. It’s always nice to visit Mount Evans, about an hour and a half from Denver. Even if the mountain goats and the bighorn don’t show up, the views are always spectacular. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 70mm) ISO 200, f/6.3 at 1/1250th of a second.

The red eft is the juvenile phase of the eastern newt (also sometimes called the eastern red-spotted newt). While in the red eft phase, they turn a bright orangish red and spend their time on land. I photographed this one in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in New Jersey. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm with Canon 500D close up filter attached) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/20th of a second.

Just a simple shot of a pronghorn being a pronghorn while grazing in his environment in Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 98mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/320th of a second.

The local squirrels have been busy collecting one of their favorite foods — hickory nuts. This eastern gray squirrel was captured by my camera trap, with a bit of a longer lens than I usually use. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 50mm lens, ISO 800, f/11 at 1/160th of a second, Cognisys camera box, remote flash and trail monitor.

We didn’t see much wildlife while on Block Island, but we did hike out to visit seals on consecutive days. The tourist info says they are gray seals at the point behind North Lighthouse, but I’m pretty sure this one is a harbor seal. They often mix together and share habitat. On the second day we saw about 20 or so that were resting on shore, but the first day it was only the heads popping up out of the water to check us out. The sun was almost on the horizon, casting a nice rich light on the seals’ faces. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/8 at 1/800th of a second.

When I was first getting into camera trapping, I kept reading articles about how to avoid capturing so many shots of mice. Along with birds, however, they’ve been one of my favorite surprises and I look forward to their consistent appearances on my camera cards. Fallen ash trees in my back woods create quite a world for them to scurry around on, over, and under. Even though this shot only illuminates the bottom of a fallen tree, I get a sense of it being an environmental image of the deer mouse’s world. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/160th of a second, Cognisys camera box, trail monitor and remote flashes.

As I mentioned recently, squirrels are by far the most common visitors to my camera traps. Here are a few action shots, one from back in April and one from a few weeks ago.
Top Shot: Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/160th of a second.
Bottom Shot: 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 flashes.

Usually when an elk wanders into frame it’s a good thing. In this case, not so much. I was in Zion National Park and caught this gray fox early in the morning, posing on several fallen trees before heading out to hunt for voles. As for the elk, she stuck around for a few shots where she was the center of attention. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 3200, f/4 at 1/160th of a second.

A northern cardinal dropped in for a visit today. The birds are always a nice surprise when they show up at the camera trap. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/160th of a second, Cognisys camera box, trail monitor and remote flashes.