Blue and yellow macaws are big birds. They are almost three feet in length and can weight up to three pounds. Due to their striking colors (mostly blue on top parts and a yellowish/orange on the bottom, with a bit of green on the crown) and their ability to talk, they are popular as pets. I’m glad I got to see them soaring high above the Pantanal in Brail in their natural habitat — usually spotted as a mating pair. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (with 1.4 teleconverter for 550mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/1000th of a second.
When I was in Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica quite a few years back, I discovered an army of red-eyed tree frogs behind the lodge that I was staying at (I’m told that’s what you call a group of frogs — an army). The males would start their mating calls every night just before I headed in for dinner. Needless to say, I was always the last one to eat at that particular lodge. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 270mm with Canon 500D close up filter attached) ISO 100, f/20 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.
The day kind of got behind me today without a post. This polar bear photo was the first thing that popped up in my “to send” folder so here it is, better late than never. This guy was out looking for whatever scraps he could find while waiting for the Hudson Bay to freeze over so that he could go in search of the real delicacies — seals. Photographed up in northern Manitoba, Canada at Seal River. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 82mm) ISO 800, f/8 at 1/3200th of a second.
The Makgadikgadi Pans are a fascinating place in north-eastern Botswana. During the dry season, very little wildlife can exist in this dry, harsh, desert environment. But following a good rain, the pans become an important migratory route for several species. In fact, one of the largest populations of zebra can be found in the pans at any given time of the year. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 102mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/4000th of a second.
As Karen and I continue to live in hotels while waiting to close on our house, my camera gear remains in storage. I could have used it this weekend while I was out walking the dog. I spotted black bears wandering through town on consecutive days. So until I can photograph Connecticut’s black bears, here’s a shot of Minnesota’s that I captured a few years back. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/800th of a second.
I do love the toucans. This guy is a bit less flashy of beak than the keel-billed toucan, but impressive nonetheless. And these guys are more commonly seen in Costa Rica, where I photographed this one years ago at the La Selva Biological Station in the north central part of the country. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm manual focus f/5.6 lens, ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/40th of a second.
A female leatherback turtle heads home after a night of laying eggs on Grande Riviera Beach in Trinidad. These turtles return to the very beach that they were born, 15 to 25 years later, to lay their eggs. After an incubation period of roughly 60 days, the eggs will hatch and the mad dash for survival will begin for the next generation of leatherbacks. I used a slow shutter speed with the camera mounted on a tripod to selectively blur the flipper and the surf. Nikon D800 with Sigma 15mm fisheye lens, ISO 50, f/18 at .3 seconds.
Obviously, the first thing you notice about a male proboscis monkey is that rather impressive snout. I love that the Indonesians call them monyet belanda (“Dutch monkey) or orang belanda (“Dutchman”), because they thought the Dutch colonizers had similarly large bellies and noses. I spotted this big boy in a tree at river’s edge on our way into Tanjung Puting National Park in Indonesian Borneo. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/160th of a second.
I photographed this young barred owl years ago in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was hanging around the campground and was just getting the whole flight thing down. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/2.8 at 1/30th of a second.
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