A northern green frog takes cover in the duckweed at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge in Indiana. Northern green frogs are commonly sold as pets. I, of course, prefer them in their natural habitat. I took this shot before I owned a macro lens and instead used a close-up filter screwed to the end of my 70-200mm. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm with Canon 500D close up filter) ISO 200, f/4 at 1/180th of a second.

Here’s another of the salamanders I found in the woods behind my house back in October. I had originally misidentified these guys as dusky salamanders, but they are actually red-backed salamanders, which can occur in several color phases, including a more grayish tone, mottled with just a bit of blue and red, known as “lead back.” Nikon D850 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 800, f/14 at 1/125th of a second.

My deer friend came back for a visit during our snow storm a few weeks back. The camera was barely above the snow line for this one. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/200th of a second, Cognisys camera box, triggering system and flashes.

The five acres that our home sits on have provided many photo ops this past year. Here’s to even more in 2021. Happy Holidays to all.

I took this shot the old fashioned way earlier in October. This is one of two cubs that were regulars in our yard (with their mother) for most of the summer and up until a few weeks ago. The cubs would quite often climb up and down trees as they passed through while Mom patiently waited for them to have their fun. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second.

Although not quite as common as some of the other birds that visit my backyard, these Carolina wrens were quite active back in October when my camera trap captured this image. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 500, f/11 at 1/160th of a second.

White-tailed deer have taken over the back woods now that the bears have (for the most part) cleared out for the season. This young female has become a regular. I wanted to create a different perspective so I put my camera on the ground in one of her favorite spots. She walked past in the perfect position with her eye visible and in focus. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/160th of a second, Cognisys camera box, remote trigger and flashes.

Always nice to capture images of a new species. I’ve seen flying squirrels on a few occasions but never photographed one. Although common, they are rarely seen as they are strictly nocturnal and shy. Last night I was walking around the woods behind my house with a headlamp when I saw this little guy running up and down a tree trunk, and then gliding from one tree to another. Quite a sight to see at close range. They are so silent as they move through the forest. Now I just need to figure out how to capture a shot of one gliding through the air. There are two types of flying squirrel in Connecticut, the southern and the northern. The southern are much more widespread in the state. I’m pretty sure that’s what this guy is, although it’s tough to distinguish one from the other. They’re about the size of a chipmunk but appear larger when their loose skin is expanded for flight. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/8 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-900 flash.