I had a request for a moose today, so here she is. This one was taken back in July of 2008 at Sandy Stream Pond in Baxter State Park in Maine. The moose was feeding on the nutrient rich vegetation on the bottom of the pond.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 200, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second
After the last two posts, I thought it was time to celebrate the good that is happening in the world of wildlife conservation. In the middle part of the last century, river otters were extinct in Indiana due to overhunting. In 1995, a dozen or so otters were reintroduced to the state at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge. Ten years later the river otter was removed from the state’s endangered species list and today otters are thriving in over 87 percent of Indiana’s counties, far surpassing the original goal. This guy was photographed several winters ago at Muscatatuck, sitting on the surface of a frozen lake after catching a fish.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens with Nikon TC-1.4 teleconverter (total of 550mm) ISO 800, f/7.1 at 1/320th of a second
This is an old one from back in 2002 when I was living in my car (by choice) and drove up to Alaska. The great thing about Alaska in July is that nocturnal animals still come out even though the sun never sets. I went for a hike at midnight in Denali National Park and came across this North American porcupine doing his porcupiney thing. You can see those nice big, orange front teeth as the porcupine munches on the vegetation. I was shooting slide film back then and not recording film speed, shutter or aperture data. My camera was a Nikon F100 and the lens was most likely my 80-200mm in the 200mm range.
Here’s another rare, non-nature shot (I need to shoot something between trips and the wildlife is hard to come by in my neighborhood whereas the cityscapes are not). This was taken in Brooklyn Bridge Park, looking toward New Jersey.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 200, f/18 at 2.5 seconds
This is one of those that you might have had to be there to appreciate. I was in Carrizo Plain, a large desert-like grassland about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles. I had been in search of the elusive kit fox and having no luck. Suddenly the sky lit up with this colorful cloud formation, providing at least something to photograph before calling it a night.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/6400th of a second
It’s my wife’s birthday today… so I figured why not post a picture of her walking across the African savanna behind a cheetah. Happy Birthday Baby.
I also wanted to pay tribute to my mother’s dog Rogan today. Rogan passed yesterday after a long, happy life. Rogan was a golden/Irish setter mix, not a polar bear, but he did like to lie on the ground in the exact pose as the bear below — a position, no doubt he’s in right now in doggie heaven. Rest well Rogan.
Top Photo: Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 35mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/1600th of a second
Bottom Photo: Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/320th of a second
Female snapping turtles will travel long distances to find suitable sandy habitat to lay their eggs. Covered in mosquitoes, this one was no exception. From what I could tell, the nearest water was at least a mile away. I got down on the ground to get an eye level perspective of her journey through Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second
I love armadillos. There are about 20 different species of them in the world. The most common here in the US is the nine-banded armadillo. I photographed this one on Merritt Island on the east coast of Florida. Nine-banded armadillos also happen to be the most far ranging species of armadillo in the world, with populations as far north as Nebraska and as far south as Uruguay.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 22mm) ISO 800, f/3.2 at 1/500th of a second
The pre-dawn mist created a nice atmospheric setting for this snowy owl perched on a tree stump. This was from the trip a few winters back in Boundary Bay, just south of Vancouver. About twenty three owls were overwintering in the area after migrating down from parts further north.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/500th of a second
This one is from my business trip to Florida back in February. Some of the white-tailed deer in Saint Andrews State Park in Panama City Beach are so tame that you can photograph them from a foot away. That being said, I more often than not prefer this type of shot where I back up to include more of the environment.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 35mm) ISO 400, f/3.2 at 1/400th of a second