I took this one down in Everglades National Park in southern Florida. You can get very close to the gators from the safety of a series of boardwalks along the popular Anhinga Trail. I used my long lens to capture this close up of the gator’s eye.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/320th of a second

Just a simple portrait of an Atlantic puffin calling. This one was taken on Machias Seal Island off the coast of Maine. The island is claimed by both the United States and Canada. Every summer, thousands of Atlantic puffins, as well as razorbills and a few other birds, return to the island to nest.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 200, f/4 at 1/640th of a second

I was photographing tidepool life at Lover’s Point in Monterey Bay when I caught sight of this snowy egret with dinner. Snowy egrets like to stalk their prey in shallow water, but in addition to fish, they also eat crustaceans, insects, small reptiles, snails, frogs, worms, mice and crayfish.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/125th of a second

I photographed this California newt several years back somewhere north of San Francisco. These guys are pretty formidable as far as newts go, growing to about eight inches long. They are also toxic. This is another macro that I used my old setup of a 70-200mm zoom with a close up filter attached. I had to use a wide aperture because I didn’t want to use flash, so the depth of field is very narrow, which I kind of like.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 70mm) with Canon 500D close up lens attached, ISO 800, f/3.5 at 1/125th of a second

Coyotes have become pretty common these days thanks to their ability to adapt to so many different habitats and weather conditions. Always nice to see them in Yellowstone in the wintertime. This guy clearly had his eye on something as he burst through the snow.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 155mm) ISO 800, f/3.5 at 1/640th of a second

Last month I posted a wild burro at a distance, behind a bush of yellow flowers. Here’s a completely different angle. As I mentioned previously, these wild burros, or donkeys, or asses if you prefer, are the only wild herd in the United States on anything other than federal land. They roam free on the hillsides of Moreno Valley in California.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/2500th of a second

I was only able to get out to the desert for one night while in Los Angeles for business last week. I was hoping for bighorn sheep in Anza-Borrego State Park so I got up very early for a pre-sunrise hike through Palm Canyon. The hike was spectacular, but the animals were nowhere to be found. I saw a few birds, a couple of antelope squirrels and only a single jackrabbit (usually I see lots of jackrabbits at this location). But I did stumble upon this curious little insect. At first I thought it was just a tiny piece of cotton-y plant blowing around in the sand. Upon closer look, however, I realized that it was a hairy insect. I had no idea what kind, but I mounted my macro lens to my camera and got up nice and close. The insect, which I have now identified as a thistledown velvet ant, was moving very quickly so it was difficult to get proper shots with the narrow depth of field afforded by the macro. I was able to get a few keepers, however, including this extreme close up. These guys (or should I say girls — this is the female) are very small. About the size of the average ant, but apparently, despite the name, they aren’t ants at all, but rather wasps. In fact, they are known to deliver quite a painful sting so I was glad that I never handled it and had my lens blocking my hands. From what I’ve read, the white hairs are a camouflage adaptation to look like creosote bush seeds. Certainly fooled me — for a while at least.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 800, f/10 at 1/250th of a second

This mountain goat kid was enjoying the view, up above the clouds on Mount Evans near Denver, Colorado.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 35mm) ISO 800, f/20 at 1/160th of a second

Monarch Butterflies take part in one of the longest migrations in the world. They travel up to 2,500 miles. Those east of the Rocky Mountains will winter in Mexico, while those west of the Rockies winter along the central California coast. They return to the same exact trees each year — in fir trees in Mexico and in eucalyptus trees in California — even though different butterflies are doing the migrating each year. These particular monarchs are part of the western migration. I photographed them in Pismo Beach, California a few years back, early in the morning when they were still clustered together on tree branches. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/250th of a second

This is the time of year that chipmunks seem to come out of nowhere. That nowhere is actually hibernation. Much like bears, they spend the cold winter months bedded down in their burrows. This chipmunk was enjoying the warmer weather in Washington’s Olympic National Park.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second