I’m not sure of the exact species of this handsome little guy, but I photographed him/her while in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge last week. From a bit of research, I think it might be the great plains toad. Regardless, I’ve always been a big fan of toads. Not quite to the stature of a proper frog, but with an admirable underdog quality about them.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/4000th of a second
I’m always reluctant to post birds because I know I have a lot of subscribers who much prefer the fur to the feather. In fact, I’m traditionally a fur over feather type myself, but lately, I’ve really been embracing the birds. This is a shot I took a couple of years ago just after a client meeting in Orrville, Ohio. After the meetings wrapped I headed north to Cuyahoga Valley National Park where I captured this red-bellied woodpecker amidst the red of autumn oak leaves.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second
Here’s another one from last weekend in Colorado. In this photo I wanted to show a bit of the alpine tundra and late summer wildflowers that blanket the ground at higher elevations where mountain goats roam.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 800, f/14 at 1/160th of a second
Here’s another one from last weekend at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal near downtown Denver. Nothing special here. Just a regular old cottontail. But an angry regular old cottontail. And that’s the best kind of cottontail.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1250th of a second
Just east of downtown Denver is the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge — almost 16,000 acres of spectacular mixed prairie, wetland and woodland habitat that used to be a United States Army chemical weapons manufacturing facility. Following a costly environmental clean up program, it’s amazing that a site that was once contaminated with deadly pollutants is now home to thriving wildlife populations, including bison, coyote, owls, pelicans and both white tailed and mule deer. I photographed this mule deer mother and her fawn early Monday morning, just as the sun began to rise.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/3200th of a second
Just back from a long weekend in Colorado visiting friends. Of course, I also took my cameras and had the opportunity to get to a few of my old hotspots. These goats were photographed at Mount Evans, the highest paved road in North America — and one of the best places in the country to see mountain goats. You can see clouds down below in the background. More on these guys in future posts when I have time to process all the shots.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 800, f/3.2 at 1/2000th of a second
I’ve posted a few of these bat stars in the past. Here’s another take, from Montana De Oro State Park in Los Osos, California. This was several years ago, but if I recall correctly, I ended up with very wet boots just after taking this shot.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 200, f/20 at 1 second
This is a western grebe, the largest of the many species of grebe. I photographed this one in Moss Landing, California at a place called Elkhorn Slough. In addition to the occasional grebe, Elkhorn Slough is also a great place to see sea otters, harbor seals and sea lions.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second
Jackrabbits can be formidable beasts. This one seems to be doing its best to display its impressive physique, like a dog at Westminster. When running, they almost look like mini antelopes bounding through the desert.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second
Late spring in Wyoming can mean any kind of weather. A sudden blizzard moved through the area as I drove from Yellowstone down to Grand Teton National Park. These two female elk didn’t seem to mind one way or the other.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 240mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/160th of a second