A bighorn ewe munches on some grass in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Like the rams, female bighorn also have horns, but nothing like the size and shape of their male counterparts. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 2000, f/4 at 1/400th of a second.

This is a perfectly fine, but rather ordinary shot of a bear. But what I really like about it is that it was taken in my side yard on Friday. We also had three other bear sightings in the yard that day. And at least one sighting a week over the last month or so. True, our house sits on five acres and the neighborhood is fairly wooded, but we also happen to be only fifteen minutes to the state capitol in downtown Hartford. Being quarantined here at home isn’t so bad after all. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm pf lens, ISO 3200, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second.

A few of these guys have been hanging around in the woods behind my house. Always nice to see. The largest North American woodpecker (that is, unless the ivory-billed woodpecker isn’t extinct). Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm pf lens, ISO 1600, f/5.6 at 1/160th of a second.

They are our most common mammals in most parts of the country, but when they strike the right pose, I still like to grab the shot. This eastern gray squirrel seemed to be contemplating his future outside my home office window the other day. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/160th of a second.

Here’s another look at the toad-eating snake that lives in my backyard. I was using my macro lens to get this very narrow depth of field just after the aforementioned toad was en route to the snake’s belly. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 800, f/3.2 at 1/2500th of a second.

I liked this guy’s face. Almost as if a darker colored black bear was growing out of the body of a lighter colored black bear. Quite a nice nose on him too. Photographed in northern Minnesota. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 310mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/320th of a second.

Black-tailed jackrabbits have particularly long ears for rabbits. This black-tailed jackrabbit had particularly long ears for a black-tailed jackrabbit. Photographed in Anza-Borrego State Park in California. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/1250th of a second.

I love these bright little goldfinches that have been visiting the trees in my yard. Couldn’t decide which shot to post, so I’m posting both to get the front view and the side view. Top Photo: Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second. Bottom Photo: Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/100th of a second.

Things got interesting in the yard yesterday. While walking with the dog, I spotted this common garter snake with the better part of a spadefoot toad hanging out of its mouth. Good for the snake. Very bad for the poor toad. They battled for awhile before the snake finished the job and then quietly slithered away with a full belly. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 500, f/5.6 at 1/500th of a second.

It’s that time of year again when the horseshoe crabs are spawning in the Delaware Bay. I took this shot a few years back down in Cape May, New Jersey. The crabs generally come ashore in greater numbers at high tide on full or new moons. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 20mm) ISO 200, f/20 at 1/3rd of a second.