Who knows what this gorilla was thinking, but they sure do share a lot of our facial expressions and body language (not to mention we are 98% identical on a genetic level). This was from my first trip to Uganda to photograph the endangered species. Back then there were only 800 estimated in the wild and they were listed as “critically endangered” by the IUCN. Today that number has risen to over a thousand and they have subsequently lost the “critically” part of their designation. A rare bit of good news in the wildlife conservation community and the world at large. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/160th of a second.

This image had some motion blur on the monkey’s face because he was turning just as I was snapping the picture at a slow shutter speed. Using Topaz Sharpen AI I was able to eliminate a good deal of the blur and salvage the shot. Which is great, because I love this type of portrait where you can really get a sense of the animal’s environment. In this case, the environment is the bamboo forest of Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 240mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/50th of a second.

What appears to be a one-eared hippo, is just a hippo wiggling one of his ears, perhaps brushing away a fly. Shot in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/1600th of a second.

The L’Hoest’s monkey shares the same habitat at the mountain gorilla in Uganda. I came across this one while hiking in Bwindi National Park the day before going on a gorilla trek. They can be very skittish and this one only allowed me two shots before bounding off into the forest. Next week Karen and I will be vacationing on Block Island so I won’t post until we return. Not sure how the wildlife viewing will be on the island but should I come back with anything interesting, I’ll be sure to share. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 400, f/5 at 1/15th of a second.

Weavers are great little architects and seem to always be working on their orbed nests. They are called, weavers, in fact, because of the dexterity in which they weave together grasses and other nesting materials. There are many different species, most living in Africa. I photographed this masked weaver in Uganda. When multiple weavers nest in a single acacia tree, it looks like ornaments have been hung — earning the nickname African Christmas trees. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4.5 at 1/400th of a second.

Continuing on with the monkey theme from last week, here’s another of Uganda’s many primates, and undoubtedly it’s most conspicuous, the vervet monkey. In fact, I saw many of these guys on my first day in the country in a city park in Entebbe, not far from the international airport. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/3.2 at 1/320th of a second.

A couple of days ago I posted a red colobus monkey from Kibale National Park in Uganda. Here’s the red colobus’s cousin, the black and white colobus monkey, also photographed in Kibale. These guys are more commonly seen and are known for their long, white-tipped tails and that white fringe on their backs. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 1600, f/3.2 at 1/100th of a second.

There are thirteen different species of primate in Uganda’s Kibale National Park. On my first visit to the country I saw quite a few of those species, including the red colobus monkey. The red colobus is closely related to the black and white colobus and the two species are sometimes seen socializing with one another in a single troop. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 640, f/4 at 1/200th of a second.

Far from a great shot technically, but I wanted to share this image I took on my first trip to Uganda of a crippled vervet monkey. She may have been missing both of her back legs from mid-shin down, but that didn’t stop her from doing all that the other monkeys were doing. And she could actually move pretty fast hopping around on just her front legs. Where there’s a will. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 105mm) ISO 400, f/3.2 at 1/1000th of a second.

Adult male mountain gorillas are called silverbacks for an obvious reason — all that silver hair growing on their backs. I asked this one if he would be so kind as to turn around so that I could get a picture of that silver hair. He respectfully obliged and allowed me to snap a few shots before turning to face me again. Photographed in the mountains of Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 160mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second.