Male Western Bluebird
Daddy Bluebird
This bluebird and his mate are using one of our bird boxes. Babies due to fledge on or about May 12.
Bald Eagle, Alaska
“You, lookin’ at me, lookin’ at you.”
One of the greatest success stories under the Endangered Species Act.
Mother Puma in Torres del Paine National Park
Mom Goes For a Walk
This mother puma was very tolerant of us. While I haven’t been fortunate enough to see and photograph a puma/mountain lion in the U.S., I’m sure a mountain lion here would would not be as tolerant as this mother was in Patagonia. I don’t know why there is this difference. They are killed just as unmercifully in Chile as they are in the U.S. My first thought was that they are the apex predator there and therefore not used to being afraid of anything. But that can’t explain it. They may not be the apex predator in places like Yellowstone National Park, but they are in places like my home state of California. Maybe it’s that they tend to live in much more open environments in Patagonia than they do in places like California where they tend to stick to the timber. They don’t have that choice in much Torres del Paine. They see us and we see them all the time. So, why are they so easy to see there? I don’t know.
Any ideas?
Male Lion; Serengeti National Park
Serenity.
This handsome male lion is in his prime. I have read that as he ages his nose will become black, he will develop jowls and he will have noticeable scars on his face. I’m guessing he’s about 5 or 6 years old.
Red Fox Mom and Kits; Yellowstone National Park
“Hey mom, we’re hungry.”
I saw this vixen and her kits several years ago in Silver Gate which is a little community just outside the northeast gate to Yellowstone.
Leopard with Cubs; Serengeti National Park
Just One More Step . . .
No, I wasn’t on foot in front of this mother leopard with cubs. I was safely shooting from a safari vehicle. This mother leopard was at the edge of a stream that was shaded and protected by trees and other vegetation. We came back a day or two later to find her gone and that palm tree lying where she had been. I don’t know what happened, but hope she and her young got away safely.
African Lion, Serengeti National Park
“Let’s Be Careful Out There.”
For those of you old enough to remember the TV show “Hill Street Blues,” Sgt. Esterhaus used to end his briefings with the caution “let’s be careful out there.” The streets can be dangerous. So can the plains of the Serengeti as this male African lion can attest. In addition to that nasty wound under his eye and split upper lip, he’s missing his upper left fang and his lower one is broken. Nevertheless, he is still the leader of a pride.
