In lieu of any significant action at my camera trap, I decided to use a little trickery and combine two exposures to pose with the fawn who has been one of my only customers thus far. I did get the left arm and butt cheek of a black bear two nights ago, but little else to speak of. But I am determined so stay tuned. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 28mm) ISO 640, f/8 at 1/60th of a second, Cognisys Cam-Box, Trail Monitor and flash units.

It’s been a few weeks but the excitement returned today as a mother black bear and her two cubs spent some time in our front yard. The cubs must have been lost and waiting for the mom to find them as they hid in a tree. I actually saw the mom first as she came through the woods in the backyard and eventually down the hill to reunite with the cubs (which I didn’t see until they went running to the mom). Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second (top shot) and 1/1000th of a second (bottom shot).

A couple of weeks ago, I tried camera trapping for the first time. It’s been a slow start while I learn the ins and outs of my new gear. I know there’s a lot of wildlife in the woods surrounding my home, but getting animals in the exact spot I want has been a challenge. Finally, yesterday afternoon, I had my first remote encounter as a white-tailed fawn came to visit. This was the first frame of nine that were fired off while the deer drank at a nearby creek. I’m hoping this is a spot that other, more exotic species might also use from time to time. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 800, f/8 at 1/80th of a second, Cognisys camera trap box, trigger and flashes.

A harbor seal does a dry run on the beach in La Jolla, California. Harbor seals are the most widespread of all the pinnipeds (which include the walruses, eared seals, and true seals). They come in many color varieties — brown, silver, white, black and can be more uniformly colored or spotted. Their range extends throughout the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as the Baltic and North Seas. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 260mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second

Been awhile since I went pure landscape (although there are some gulls way back there on the distant rocks). This one is from Pacific Grove just south of Monterey, California. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm), graduated neutral density filter, ISO 200, f/20 at 1/5th of a second.

Eastern bluebirds are a common sight in my backyard but they generally don’t allow me to get too close. Last month I posted a female. Here’s the male (with the much brighter plumage). Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second.

White-tailed deer are extremely common where I live in central Connecticut, and in fact, throughout much of the country. That said, it’s still a treat to spot one from the hammock in the backyard. Especially a fawn. This little guy appeared lost and hardly moved for about an hour. But eventually Mom came back and the two disappeared into the forest. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second.

Roseate spoonbills range east of the Andes in South America and on up through the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico and as far north as the gulf coast of the United States. I’ve photographed them in Texas, Louisiana and in this case, Florida. Much like flamingos, they get their color from the foods they eat — crustaceans and other aquatic invertebrates that contain carotenoids that turn their feathers pink. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (with 1.4x teleconverter for 550mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/1250th of a second.

A bighorn ewe munches on some grass in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Like the rams, female bighorn also have horns, but nothing like the size and shape of their male counterparts. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 2000, f/4 at 1/400th of a second.

This is a perfectly fine, but rather ordinary shot of a bear. But what I really like about it is that it was taken in my side yard on Friday. We also had three other bear sightings in the yard that day. And at least one sighting a week over the last month or so. True, our house sits on five acres and the neighborhood is fairly wooded, but we also happen to be only fifteen minutes to the state capitol in downtown Hartford. Being quarantined here at home isn’t so bad after all. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm pf lens, ISO 3200, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second.