A few of these guys have been hanging around in the woods behind my house. Always nice to see. The largest North American woodpecker (that is, unless the ivory-billed woodpecker isn’t extinct). Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm pf lens, ISO 1600, f/5.6 at 1/160th of a second.

They are our most common mammals in most parts of the country, but when they strike the right pose, I still like to grab the shot. This eastern gray squirrel seemed to be contemplating his future outside my home office window the other day. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/160th of a second.

Here’s another look at the toad-eating snake that lives in my backyard. I was using my macro lens to get this very narrow depth of field just after the aforementioned toad was en route to the snake’s belly. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 800, f/3.2 at 1/2500th of a second.

I liked this guy’s face. Almost as if a darker colored black bear was growing out of the body of a lighter colored black bear. Quite a nice nose on him too. Photographed in northern Minnesota. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 310mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/320th of a second.

Black-tailed jackrabbits have particularly long ears for rabbits. This black-tailed jackrabbit had particularly long ears for a black-tailed jackrabbit. Photographed in Anza-Borrego State Park in California. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/1250th of a second.

I love these bright little goldfinches that have been visiting the trees in my yard. Couldn’t decide which shot to post, so I’m posting both to get the front view and the side view. Top Photo: Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second. Bottom Photo: Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/100th of a second.

Things got interesting in the yard yesterday. While walking with the dog, I spotted this common garter snake with the better part of a spadefoot toad hanging out of its mouth. Good for the snake. Very bad for the poor toad. They battled for awhile before the snake finished the job and then quietly slithered away with a full belly. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 500, f/5.6 at 1/500th of a second.

It’s that time of year again when the horseshoe crabs are spawning in the Delaware Bay. I took this shot a few years back down in Cape May, New Jersey. The crabs generally come ashore in greater numbers at high tide on full or new moons. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 20mm) ISO 200, f/20 at 1/3rd of a second.

Here’s another quarantine image from my backyard. I’ve seen a lot of these eastern bluebirds flying around, but they are reluctant to let me get too close. This guy was a bit more agreeable. His colors weren’t as vibrant as some of the others I’ve seen. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/800th of a second.

This young guy was waiting patiently for his mother to return to the den with breakfast. There was also another sibling nearby and they would take turns playing with each other and then stopping to scan the horizon. Photographed in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/320th of a second.