As I mentioned previously, the guanacos on my Chilean trip were great subjects due to their iconic shape and the fact that they were so ubiquitous throughout Torres Del Paine National Park. I photographed this one late in the day while waiting for the puma that I posted on Monday to get back to her kill.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/4000th of a second

We tracked this puma for about half a mile as she slowly made her way back to a kill that she had hidden in the grass earlier in the day, or perhaps the night before. She got a bit ahead of me, but I was still able to get a few of Torres Del Paine’s majestic peaks in the background.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 120mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second

I photographed a few of these guys in the Falklands and then saw them again on this most recent trip to Patagonia. This one was spotted just north of Punta Arenas, Chile on our way to Torres Del Paine. A bit of a rear view here, but the entire breast is that red color that you see on the face.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second

This pair of gray foxes were taking a morning rest in Torres Del Paine. We would see them again later that morning, attempting to grab all they could of a puma’s kill before the rightful owner returned to claim her property.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 260mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second

As soon as I saw this puma about to make a run at a group of guanacos, I quickly lowered the shutter speed of my camera by closing down the aperture, and I steadily tracked along with her. Unfortunately for the puma, her effort went unrewarded as the faster guanacos all got away. As for me, I was able to caputure a nice series of motion blurred images. I’ll post a few of the others in the future.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/22 at 1/13th of a second

Meet the lesser rhea, otherwise known as Darwin’s rhea. Also otherwise known as the flightless bird they make feather dusters out of. In addition to their feathers, they are also farmed for their meat and eggs, their hide for leather and their oil for cosmetics. Needless to say, they have become near threatened in much of their range. Within Torres Del Paine, they are protected, at least from humans. Pumas will hunt them to add variety to their guanaco-rich diet. Rheas are related to the emu and are one of the world’s four large flightless birds along with the cassowary and the ostrich (there are other flightless birds in the world, but those four are the big boys).
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/640th of a second

I previously posted this mother and also posted the cub. Here they are together, traveling along a lake in Torres Del Paine National Park. A few yards back and out of frame were two other cubs. Shortly after taking this photo, I turned my attention to an owl that was behind me. When I looked back, I had lost site of the pumas, but at least I got a few shots of them on the move after an afternoon of rest.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1250th of a second

The great thing about guanacos is that they were seemingly everywhere in Torres Del Paine. When the light was good, it didn’t take long to find one — or two in this case — up on some ridge top with dramatic mountains and clouds in the background.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 70mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1250th of a second

I watched this puma stalking, and then half-heartedly chasing, a herd of guanacos. It almost seemed as if she knew she had no chance but was going to give it a go anyway just in case. After all her would-be victims disappeared over the horizon, she plopped down for a nap. I’ll post some of the stalking pics soon.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second

The two photos making up this gif are of the same crested duck, taken from the same spot. But as the duck moved slightly, those colorful feathers on the back side changed from a maroonish to a deep green and then back again. They’re called the speculum feathers. Many ducks have them and they are often iridescent, allowing changes in color based on wing position, angle of view and lighting conditions.
Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second