This young bear stayed close to our lodge at Silver Salmon Creek in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska. He was recently out on his own and likely felt a bit more secure sticking close to us humans. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/100th of a second.

Last night while walking the dog before going to bed I spotted two eyes staring back at me from the bushes in the side yard. I continued walking the dog (he didn’t see what I did) before bringing him back inside. I grabbed my camera and flash and headed back out. Sure enough the bobcat was still there but deep in the bushes. After a few tries, I was able to get this one angle where his/her face wasn’t obscured by twigs. Not the prettiest setting but nice to capture a shot of a bobcat the old fashioned way without my camera trap. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 500, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second, Godox V860iii flash.

Hunting alongside the great blue heron that I posted yesterday was this black-crowned night heron. This is a juvenile who hasn’t yet developed the black crown. The brackish water in a shaded part of the swamp was creating a very reflective surface. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 3200, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second, Godox V860iii fill flash.

Here’s another one from last weekend in southwest Florida. Great blue herons were competing with night herons, green herons, little blue herons, anhingas, ibises and egrets for the best fishing spots. As the largest of the aforementioned birds, this great blue had no problem getting his fill of catfish. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/100th of a second, Godox V860iii fill flash.

I took a drive up to Cape Coral, Florida on Sunday to visit a few of the city’s most famous feathered residents — Florida burrowing owls. These guys are a subspecies of burrowing owl that also live in the Bahamas. Cape Coral happens to be a place that a large number of them call home and they can be spotted throughout the heavily-populated suburban neighborhoods of the city. Burrowing owls are very small and they are diurnal rather than nocturnal. As the name suggests, they live in the ground, which is also somewhat unusual for owls. This guy was on guard duty just outside a burrow that was dug in the side yard of a church. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second, Godox V860iii fill flash.

I’m off to Florida tomorrow for a quick visit with my mother (and perhaps some new wildlife encounters) so this will be the last post until next week. A simple portrait of a bull moose on a misty morning in Chugach State Park in Alaska. The rut was in full swing when I came across a few large males searching for a mate — a potentially dangerous situation so I had to be constantly aware of my surroundings. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 210mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/800th of a second.

I’ll be heading down to Florida next Wednesday to visit my mother. Last time I was there, I took a drive out to the Corkscrew Swamp near her place in Bonita Springs and came across this black-capped night heron feasting on a catfish. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second.

Two river otters surface in an opening in the ice. The otters will keep several holes open for easy access to fish. Photographed in southern Indiana. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/320th of a second.

Nothing like springtime in the Badlands. This image of a mother bison and her calf was taken on a sunny morning in mid June a few years back. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 78mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/8000th of a second.

I know we haven’t yet hit the mid point of March, but looking forward to the springtime return of black bears. This one visited my trap back in September of 2020. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 20mm) ISO 500, f/8 at 1/125th of a second, Cognisys camera box, trail monitor and remote flashes.