Recently in Nature Photography Category

Black Skimmer, Fort DeSoto Park, Florida
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One cool bird of the shore, a Black Skimmer coming in for a landing at Fort DeSoto Park near St. Petersburg, FL. Almost always seen in large flocks, they are a real pleasure to watch feed as they "skim" just above the water, their lower mandible in the water and ready to snap shut with lightning speed when it touches a fish. Though their conservation status is considered "least concern," in some parts of their range in North America numbers have declined due to over development of coastal regions.

Pronghorn Buck at Bryce Canyon National Park
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This species is high on the list of my favorite mammals, they are really quite amazing. They are the only surviving member of a family that once included at least 12 members, the rest all becoming extinct around the time of the last Ice Age (one was the Dwarf Pronghorn, only about 24" tall!). They are the second fastest land animal on the planet and the fastest in the Western Hemisphere (only the Cheetah is faster). It is said that within days of birth they can outrun the fastest humans and, by 4 to 5 weeks, can outrun a coyote. Top speed for adults is between 55 and 60 MPH (90 - 100 km/h). Their incredible eyesight is comparable to that of a human using an 8 power pair of binoculars and, with the positioning of their eyes (about the size of a horse's!), their field of view is about 320 degrees. It is also said they probably outnumbered the Bison in total population, and there are anecdotal stories from passengers on westbound trains telling of passing herds 70 miles long! By the turn of the 20th Century the population, which has been estimated to have numbered between 40 and 50 million, had been reduced to less than 20,000 by market hunting. The population has recovered to nearly 1 million and in some areas where they had been extirpated (like southern Utah) they have been reintroduced.

Their scientific name, Antilocapra americana, does translate to American antelope and in much of the west there are many people who call this animal an antelope, but they are, in truth, not closely related to the old world antelopes. Please call this unique animal by its proper name, Pronghorn.

Thor's Hammer & The Pope In Reflected Morning Light
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One of the magical things about Bryce Canyon is the way the morning sun will reflect off of the plateau's edge and light up the rock formations from behind. This image features the hoodoo's Thor's Hammer and The Pope taken from the upper portion of the Navajo Loop Trail about 30 minutes after sunrise.

Snail Kite, Lake Marian, Florida
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With the catch of the day in it's talons, this immature Snail Kite certainly learned quickly how to hunt for Apple Snails. There was also a banded and satellite transmitter equipped female foraging in the same area that, if I had to guess, was probably this bird's mother. This catch was by far the largest snail by either of them while I was there. Here's a bonus shot after the snail was extracted and the shell discarded.

Lake Marian is southeast of Orlando and one of the "3 lakes" of Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area. These kites were seen near the Lake Marian Marina south of the WMA; another location to look for them is at Joe Overstreet Landing north of the WMA. In addition to kites, within the WMA you can look for endangered Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and, on a lucky day, you might see some of the non-migratory population of reintroduced Whooping Cranes near Overstreet Landing. Check out the Great Florida Birding Trail (East Section) for more info if you're heading to Florida.

Long-tailed Weasel at Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, Alaska
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On my trip to photograph bears at Katmai National Park's Hallo Bay in August 2006, our group came upon this unexpected bonus while walking to the area in which the bears were feeding. While certainly looking cute, the Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata), which usually hunts small rodents, can take on animals much larger that itself, including rabbits. When first seen the weasel was peering over the back side of this piece of driftwood but, curious, crawled through a hole in the back and through this whole on the front for a better look at our small group of photographers.

Turkey Vulture at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (FL)
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Black Vulture at Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge (FL)
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California Condor along the Big Sur Coast (CA)
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In celebration of International Vulture Awareness Day, we have a very special Serendipity Saturday with three images of these misunderstood and (often maligned) birds. Around the world many populations of vultures are under pressure and in danger of extinction, including of course, the California Condor. These birds, by eating the remains of dead animals, fill a very important ecological niche, and the loss of even one species would be tragic.

Enjoy the photos and hug a vulture today! 

Greater Sage-grouse battling on a lek near Bryce Canyon National Park
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Not far from Bryce Canyon Airport is a Greater Sage-grouse lekking ground where it is possible to witness displays by the males and, occasionally, a pair of them engage in a territorial battle. If a male wanders to close to an area staked out by another male, feathers do fly as they smack either other around with their wings. In this particular encounter the bird on the left was the loser.