The kori bustard is the largest flying bird in Africa. This one was putting on quite a courtship display, puffing out those neck feathers, although we never saw who he was performing for as he walked around strutting his stuff in a big, seemingly empty field. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 720, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second.
A three-toed sloth eats the fruiting buds of a cecropia tree in the northern Amazon basin of Peru. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1600, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second, Godox V860iii flash.
A coastal brown bear stands to get a better view of the silver salmon she hopes to catch for breakfast. Nearby, her two cubs wait as she does her thing. Lake Clark National Park in Alaska. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second.
It’s been awhile since I’ve been to the southern California desert. Last time I was there, I saw a few of these iconic birds of the desert southwest. They can sprint at up to 20 mph and prefer to keep things on the ground, although when in imminent danger from an approaching predator, they will take to the air. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 270mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/640th of a second.
This is a Nancy Ma’s night monkey, named after a Harvard professor. We were out on the river at night in Loreto, Peru, in the northern Amazon basin when we saw those eyes staring back at us. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/7.1 at 1/200th of a second, Godox V860iii flash.
I’ve seen and photographed giant river otters in a few countries in South America, but I definitely had my best opportunities in Brazil. This image of a mother with her pup (and an unfortunate fish) was taken in Brazil’s Pantanal region. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 270mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1320th of a second.
I was only in Thailand for five days, but I had some great sightings, including this white-handed gibbon. I saw several of these guys, both the chocolate brown morph as well as cream-colored morphs like this one. Photographed in Kaeng Krachan National Park on the Malay Peninsula. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/320th of a second.
The long-tailed meadowlark was one of the more colorful birds I saw down in southern Chile. They build their nests on, or close to the ground. When leaving or returning to the nest, they sneak out (or in) on the ground before flying. This ensures that no predators can find their nest. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second.
What is a Ranitomeya flavovittata? This guy, of course. One of the more spectacular little poison dart frogs to be found in the Loreto region of the Peruvian Amazon. I had to get deep within the bromeliad plant with my macro lens to get this shot of the fingernail-sized frog. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 500, f/20 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-900 flash.
This is the only Sulawesi dwarf cuscus I saw on my Indonesia trip. The lighting wasn’t great but I got a variety of shots just before I had to get back in a vehicle and head for the airport for my journey home. A nice end to the trip. These guys are arboreal marsupials and are a fairly rare species, seldomly photographed. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/400th of a second.