Three gentoo penguins casting long shadows across the beach on Sea Lion Island in the Falkland Islands.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 35mm) ISO 400, f/9 at 1/320th of a second

Just a simple shot of a simple bird doing its thing. This is a rufous-chested dotterel, also known as the rufous-chested plover. It is a South American bird that breeds in Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands. In winter it can be found as far north as Peru. I photographed this one on Sea Lion Island in the Falklands.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/1250th of a second

With my 15 millimeter fisheye lens, I was able to capture the three main groups of rockhopper penguins that live in this colony on Saunders Island in the Falkland Islands. It was great to have this place completely to myself when I visited in October of 2014.
Nikon D800 with Sigma 15mm fisheye lens, ISO 200, f/18 at 1/100th of a second

Penguin colonies seem to be a constant source of bickering. And this colony on Saunders Island in the Falklands was no different. I zoomed in on these two gentoo penguins as they were having a few words with each other amongst all the other squabbling going on all around them.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second

The southern petrel is a massive bird with a massive beak. The wingspan is nearly 7 feet, but it’s that very weird and dense beak that had me fascinated as I got a close up look at these guys nesting on Carcass Island in the Falkland Islands.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/500th of a second

I was in the Falklands at the time that the young king penguins were going through their molt, dropping their brown fluffy baby feathers to reveal the adult plumage beneath. This poor guy looked particularly scruffy as his head was in full transition.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 800, f/8 at 1/500th of a second

The southern caracara, or southern crested caracara is a raptor in the falcon family that lives in central to southern South America. I photographed this one on Carcass Island in the Falkland Islands. These guys are opportunistic hunters, feeding on carcasses, stealing prey from other raptors, raiding nests, and only occasionally capturing their own live prey.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/640th of a second

This is a male long-tailed meadowlark that I photographed on Carcass Island in the Falkland Islands. The blurred out yellow in the background is the gorse flowers that were growing all over the island when I was there. The female long-tailed meadowlarks are less colorful in appearance than the males, but they excel in other areas, such as nest building. They construct their nests in the tall grass, close to the ground. This allows them to exit the nest by first descending to the ground and then walking six or so feet before taking to the air. They arrive back at their nests in the same manner — landing in the grass six feet out and then hoofing it the rest of the way. They do this so that would-be predators can’t find their nests.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/1000th of a second

It’s been brought to my attention that today (well, by the time of this posting, yesterday) is World Penguin Day. Couldn’t miss the opportunity to post another of the friendly locals from the Falkland Islands. This is a gentoo penguin, up and at it very early in the morning at Volunteer Point.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/1000th 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