My photo of the day blog is usually reserved for the animals I encounter in the wild. But today is an exception—because today we lost our beloved Lily. Aka Lils the Pirate. Liliken. Lilypad. Her life wasn’t always easy. She was found as an abandoned kitten on the streets of Brooklyn, with only one eye. Rescued by a friend at the office. Adopted by another friend. And then, when that second friend asked us to look after her while he searched for a new apartment in LA, well, we never gave her back. Until today. A seemingly sudden, “catastrophic event” we still don’t fully understand took away her ability to move, eat, and drink, and subsequently, her life. All told, Lily was part of our family for almost ten years. It took her awhile to settle into our 280-year-old home, but eventually she found her favorite spots (the ones not already claimed by her two brothers), where she could rest easy and watch the years pass. She kept mostly to herself, content at last with a little permanence and peace. Rest easy, Lilikens. You were a good girl, and much loved.
The saddle-billed stork is one of Africa’s tallest and most striking storks, standing up to five feet tall with a wingspan that can reach over nine feet. It gets its name from the bright yellow “saddle” shield at the base of its long red-and-black bill. Unlike many storks, it tends to be solitary or seen in pairs rather than in large flocks, stalking wetlands for fish, frogs, and other prey. It’s always a favorite sighting for guests on our African safaris. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 125, f/5.6 at 1/500th of a second.
It’s been fairly slow in the yard this summer for bears. That said, a young one we haven’t seen before has been wandering around the last week or so. This image was taken last night by my camera trap while Karen and I were visiting friends in Pennsylvania. Always nice to come home to a few surprises. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 25mm) ISO 500, f/14 at 1/200th of a second, Cognisys camera box, trail monitor and remote flash units.
Thanks to Fox61 and Jimmy Altman for the feature on tonight’s news. And thanks to Sean McKeever, as always for the great camera work. If you want to join us in Africa, reach out to get the conversation started. Link to full article on Fox61
I was deliberately shooting at a slow shutter speed to get a sense of movement while panning with this beisa oryx. The foreground bushes added to the motion-blurred effect as the oryx ran through the scrub brush of Samburu National Reserve in Kenya. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 180, f/5.6 at 1/30th of a second.
Always fun to photograph these guys scurrying around outside our tents in Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve. Male agama lizards are most colorful during breeding season, with a bright red or orange head, dark blue body, and tail. They are agile climbers and can often be seen basking on rocks or walls before darting away at the slightest movement. These lizards feed mainly on insects, using quick bursts of speed and their excellent vision to catch prey. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 220, f/6.3 at 1/320th of a second.
The light was bad. My lens was too long. Camera was shaky. Nevertheless, here’s 67 seconds of baby elephant cuteness. Enjoy. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, 4K/120fps.
This beauty is a red-chested sunbird, captured during one of my favorite times of day while on safari — in between game drives when I get to walk around camp while most everyone else is taking their afternoon siestas. It’s a small bird found in parts of East and Central Africa. Males, like this one, have an iridescent green head, scarlet chest, and metallic blue highlights. Using a slender, curved bill, it feeds on nectar from flowers, often hovering like a tiny hummingbird, though it will also perch to feed. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1800, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second.
Threat display or simply a yawn? If the former, it’s meant to warn off rivals or predators without physical confrontation. It’s sometimes accompanied by vocalizations or raised fur, which makes the tiny mongoose appear larger and more intimidating. Within the group, it can also be a way to settle dominance disputes or assert rank, part of their highly social and communicative behavior. I should state that even though it looks like she’s looking straight at me, the display started with her looking off to the side at other mongooses before she turned her head toward camera and closed her mouth. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 2000, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.
The vulturine guineafowl is the largest of the guineafowl species, easily recognized by its electric-blue feathers, long neck, and bare, vulture-like head. Native to East Africa’s dry savannas and scrublands, it travels in tight, coordinated flocks. Though it does fly, it prefers to run, darting through the brush when alarmed. Other than elephants, this was the only other chance I had on our recent trip to lower the camera to the ground and use my inverted monopod technique. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/500th of a second.
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