Here’s another look at a genet. They are commonly called genet cats, but aren’t really cats at all and are more closely related to mongooses. This one came creeping around our camp one night in Botswana. We were actually at dinner and luckily, I brought my camera along in case of just such a thing.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 640, f/4 at 1/60th of a second, two SB-900 flash units on off camera bracket
It was early spring when I photographed this bull moose in a field of out-of-focus lupine in northern Colorado. Like all male deer (yes, a moose is a deer) a new set of antlers is grown each year before being shed in the winter. Throughout most of the growing season, the antlers are covered in velvet. Once fully grown, the velvet will shed, and soon thereafter, the antlers will be dropped. This guy is also displaying a nice dewlap — that fancy flap of skin hanging from beneath the chin.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 400, f/5 at 1/500th of a second
This was the first red-eyed tree frog that I saw in the wild, and the very first exposure. It was about six years ago in Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica. Very exciting at the time, as these colorful frogs were at the top of my wish list. I ended up seeing quite a few more of them on that trip but this initial shot is still one of my favorites. I remember hesitating for a second, making sure that all my settings were correct because I didn’t know if the frog would jump away never to be seen again. As it turned out, like most frogs, red-eyed tree frogs are very patient subjects. Still, I don’t like to take too many shots because the flash is obviously not a pleasant experience for any creature of the night.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 200, f/11 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-800 flash units attached to an off camera bracket
This rufous motmot took advantage of a spider web. It was bad news for both the moth and the spider as the motmot made away with the spider’s dinner. I photographed this one in the cloud forest of Ecuador at a place called Mashpi.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/320th of a second
This barred owl was enjoying a bit of an appetizer course for breakfast. The unfortunate prey was an eastern lubber grasshopper. You can see the one orange leg still dangling from the owl’s beak.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 300mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1//1000th of a second
At least it appears that this white-faced capuchin monkey is having a bit of a rough day. He/she was actually in the process of being groomed by a friend and was, in all likelihood, quite pleased with the afternoon. These two were part of a much larger troop of monkeys that were winding down the day in an enormous oceanfront tree in Drake Bay, Costa Rica.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/250th of a second
These two lions were quite young. The male had just started to grow his mane. It was very early on a misty morning in Kenya and they were engaged in a bit of foreplay before an attempt at mating. From what I could tell, it was just that — a half-hearted attempt before they both settled back down into the grass.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/80th of a second
I was talking to someone at the office today who has a bit of a mouse problem. She is disgusted by them and was asking what she could do to get rid of them. My advice was to enjoy their company and be happy that they had chosen her house to co-habitate in. This, of course, was not a satisfactory answer. I was reminded of a pleasant mouse encounter I had in the wild some years ago — well, it was sort of in the wild. I was hiking in Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania. At the trailhead there was a box containing trail maps. When I reached into the box I quickly realized that a family of deer mice had other plans for those maps. They had torn them to shreds and used them as nesting material to line the bottom of the box. About eight mice scattered from the nest, including this little guy who decided to asses the situation from behind the relative safety of the box post.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 200, f/7.1 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-800 flash
Friday it was the elk at twilight, today the maned wolf. For this photo I had the benefit of a few flash units to help with the lighting. Some of you might remember the maned wolf from previous posts. They are sometimes referred to as a fox on stilts. They are, in fact, the largest wild canid, standing over four feet tall. It is thought that their long legs are an adaptation to the tall grasslands in which they live. They range across central south America, mostly in Brazil, where I saw this one.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 35mm) ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/50th of a second, two Nikon SB-800 flash units positioned off camera
Point Reyes National Seashore isn’t that far north of San Francisco. In fact, the northern suburbs of the city can be seen below this ridge where elk often graze. It was well past sunset when I took this picture and I had to crank my ISO up to 3200 to have enough light to record the scene. A bed of fog (of course, it’s San Francisco) settled into the valley below as the elk began to wind down another day.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 135mm) ISO 3200, f/2.8 at 1/25th of a second