This lovely beast isn’t actually called a hairy-eared hippo, but he/she is quite obviously a hippo with rather hairy ears. I photographed him/her in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. Hippos, of course, are herbivores but still have the reputation of being among the most deadly animals in Africa due to their territorial aggression.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/1600th of a second
This tiny little lion cub kept leaving his mother to get a better look at us. He’d make a bit of a half-hearted charge and then return back to her. We were in the Olare Orok Conservancy which is a private concession on the northern border of the Masai Mara in Kenya.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second
Here’s another shot from my recent trip down to Florida, and the town of Cape Coral, which has become well known for its rather conspicuous burrowing owl population. That’s mom in the background to the right. There were actually three almost-full-grown chicks but the third was hidden behind these two siblings.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second
Time for the annual bunny post on Easter. This little cottontail was photographed late one afternoon in Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. Hope everyone had a great day.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/320th of a second
Sometimes you can get close. This was a one-year old leopard we observed stalking a pangolin for about three hours. I previously posted about the encounter at this link. We were obviously able to get very close, and I used my long lens (and a generous crop) to zoom in on the leopard’s eyes for this tight portrait.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/160th of a second
The elephant on the left was very small. It was calling to what was probably a sibling or cousin. I say that because although it may look like the mother, it was actually a young, rather small elephant in its own right. The baby had lost the tip of its trunk, most likely the victim of a predator, but perhaps it was a birth defect. Either way, the little guy seemed to have no problem getting along. We watched as it drank from a water hole and ate grass alongside the much larger members of the herd.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 280mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second
The Falkland steamer duck is one of just two birds endemic to the Falkland Islands. It also happens to be flightless. This particular steamer duck was out for a morning stroll along the shoreline of Sea Lion Island, most likely looking for a little breakfast.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/1250th of a second
I’ve been in a frog kind of mood lately. And of all the tree frogs out there, none are quite as iconic as the red-eyed tree frog. I was lucky enough to see quite a few of these guys just outside of the lodge I was staying at in Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica. As far as tree frogs go, the red-eyed is pretty large. And obviously, spectacularly adorned with all that color. This guy was calling for a mate just after nightfall.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 116mm) with Canon 500D close up filter, ISO 400, f/20 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-800 flash units
After a long day at sea, rockhopper penguins appreciate a good shower. The competition at this particular shower spot on Saunders Island in the Falklands can get quite intense. For the moment, this rockhopper has won water rights, but those others waiting in line won’t remain patient for long.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/200th of a second
It’s been awhile since I posted an orangutan, so here’s a double shot of two of them — a mother and her baby from Tanjung Puting National Park in Indonesia. Both photos were shot wide angle at 17mm (I just backed up a bit for the first) so you can see how comfortable they were with my presence.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/250th of a second