Love comes in all shapes and sizes ❤️Happy Valentine’s Day!
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Happy Valentine!
Favorite Photos: January 2025
As expected, most of the photos I edited in January were from my trip to Kangaroo Island in November and December.
I photographed this New Holland Honeyeater in one of the most unexpected places: the parking lot of a gas station in Kingscote. As you may have seen in my stories, we had to go to Kingscote to fix a flat tire. The inconvenience of the tire business was quickly overshadowed by the joy of capturing many beautiful bird photos that morning.
A parking lot is one of the most unexpectedly good locations for photographing birds. Birds, accustomed to humans, allow for a closer interaction than in the wild. The same goes, in fact, for any public space, be it a park, a botanical garden, or even a gas station.
I was up at five a.m. and driving to the lake well before sunrise, concealing myself in the bushes and waiting for the sun to rise. I was hoping to photograph cockatoos or kangaroos drinking, but I had no luck that day. However, that golden light makes everything look good, doesn’t it?
For a few minutes, the lake was transformed into a scene of pure magic, bathed in molten gold. Its water mirrored the orange earth and the rising sun, creating a breathtaking, almost otherworldly experience.
And just like that, in a matter of minutes, the golden spectacle was gone, leaving only memories and the promise of another day.
I love this photo of the two kangaroos at sunset. They were far away, and the light was fading fast. Realizing I wouldn’t have enough time to get closer, I made a conscious decision to go for a minimalistic look.
This has become one of my favorite photos from that day, and I’m happy I couldn’t get closer. I love the negative space and the silhouettes of the kangaroos, so small in the vastness of that field.
Take a right here, mate!
One of my friends on Kangaroo Island looks after many rescue animals, including six llamas. The llamas, retired from wool production, enjoy a good life on my friend’s property. They have strong personalities, and watching their shenanigans was such a joy!
This is one of the handsome boys I enjoyed photographing that day.
I don’t think I’ve seen so many koalas in the wild on any previous trip to Australia. I just realized that when my Instagram stories featured at least one koala video a day; I feel truly blessed to have seen so many of the fluffy cuties. I hope this photo brought you as much joy as it did to me, and I hope to continue spreading happiness through my experiences ❤️.
Here is another parking lot photo. I told you they are good spots for getting closer to wildlife! This is the same gas station in Kingscote as in the honeyeater photo.
An Australasian grebe calling for its young on a foggy morning on Kangaroo Island. It was 6:30 am, and the sun was not up yet. On my way to another location, I spotted this grebe family serenely floating on a small pond, shrouded in the waves of fog.
I stopped for a few minutes to take several photos, and this one became one of my absolute favorites from that trip.
You know what they say about too many good things … as much as I loved editing photos from my Australia trip, it became too much after a while. I never thought I’d say that, but there you are!
I was looking for a winter photo when I came across this goldfinch image from a couple of years ago, and it was exactly what I needed. With no snow in sight and the days still dark, a wintery scene with a light edit was just the inspiration I was looking for.
And finally, here is a squirrel photo for your enjoyment!
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Happy International Zebra Day!
Happy International Zebra Day!
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🦓Zebra (Equus quagga)
📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
📍Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, South Africa
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Celebrating Squirrel Appreciation Day
January 21st is Squirrel Appreciation Day! What better excuse do you need to throw a party, especially if you live in the Northern hemisphere and long for summer and green pastures?
Interesting Facts About Squirrels
- Red squirrels change their body fur twice every year, but their tail hair only changes once.
- They can jump over 2 meters (6.5 feet), ten times their body length (without the tail). The long tail, measuring another 20 centimeters (8in), helps squirrels to balance and steer when jumping.
- Squirrels live in a nest known as a drey. Dreys are located high up in trees, made from twigs, and lined with moss, leaves, and other soft materials.
- They engage in deceptive caching. The squirrel digs a hole and fiercely plugs it up without using the nut to fend off any food thieves.
- Squirrels like to gnaw on reindeer horns. The horns provide a good supplement of calcium, phosphorus, glucosamine, and chondroitin, with trace amounts of magnesium, potassium, zinc, and iron.
- Squirrels’ front teeth don’t stop growing. Like those of other rodents, squirrels’ front teeth continue to develop throughout their lives. Gnawing on animal horns (see above) helps squirrels grind down their teeth.
- They zigzag to avoid predators. Squirrels flee in a zigzag fashion when they are threatened.
How to Celebrate Squirrel Awareness Month
- Feed the little critters nuts, fruits, and vegetables. Squirrels love walnuts and hazelnuts (all kinds of nuts, really), so you can start with that. You can go to a park or set up a simple feeding station in your backyard. Fill feeders with a mix of nuts, seeds, and fresh fruits. You could also transform your garden into a squirrel-friendly sanctuary by setting up squirrel houses, planting nut-bearing trees, and creating safe spaces for them to hide.
- Plant some trees to support squirrel habitats. They provide food and shelter for the squirrels and other small animals and birds. You can also create a safe space for squirrels to hide by leaving some areas of your garden undisturbed and providing water sources.
- Share the Joy: capture the squirrels in action and share their shenanigans on social media, using #squirrelappreciationday to connect with others who appreciate these fascinating creatures.
Bonus: NASA engineer designed a squirrel-proof birdfeeder. Or so he thought.
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- Fight or Flight?
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Favorite Photos: December 2024
December was a whirlwind as I traveled to Australia for the second time this year, and more photos from this trip are coming soon! I returned just in time for the festive season and have hardly processed any photos since.
I took this photo at Stokes Bay, one of my favorite spots on Kangaroo Island for bird photography, and processed it quickly as I loved the pose.
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Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)
📸 Canon R5M2 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
📍Stokes Bay, Kangaroo Island, South Australia
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It’s International Cheetah Day!
Happy International Cheetah Day!
Did you know that the black tear stripes on a cheetah’s face, which run from its eyes to its mouth, function like a rifle scope? These stripes help protect their eyes from the sun’s glare, allowing cheetahs to focus on their prey from a long distance. Isn’t nature amazing?
🐆Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
📍Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, South Africa
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Favorite Photos: November 2024
Unwavering gaze. I photographed this four-year-old lion in the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve a few months ago, and it is possibly the most beautiful lion I’ve ever seen. Being just a few meters away from this magnificent animal as it looked at me sent shivers down my spine. I still feel that thrill whenever I look at the photo.
This is one of my top favorite photos this year, likely one of the 2024 top ten. Maybe THE 2024 favorite? We’ll see, we’ll see … only a few weeks to go.
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🦁Lion (Panthera leo)
📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
📍Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, South Africa
Same lion, now in color. It’s interesting how some photos can look better in black-and-white, as is the case with this lion …
… or in color, as it’s the case with this zebra.
Did you know that a zebra’s stripe pattern is as unique as human fingerprints? Scientists believe that this helps zebras recognize each other. The stripes also aid in camouflage, making it more difficult for predators to distinguish individual zebras by obscuring their silhouettes.
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🦓Zebra (Equus quagga)
📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
📍Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, South Africa
Same zebra, now in black-and-white. It’s an OK photo, but I think I like the color version better.
Circle of life in the Lapalala Wilderness. After feasting on the remains of a roan antelope, a young lion scans its surroundings; truly a sight to behold.
(And, truth to be told, a bit nerve-wracking, standing just a few meters from the lion. “Not interested in your antelope, sir, I’m a vegetarian”!)
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🦁Lion (Panthera leo)
📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
📍Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, South Africa
All photos were taken with Canon EOS R5 and Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM.
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Favorite Photos: October 2024
Boxing practice: two young kangaroos sparring at sunset. This is how they learn to fight: first with their mother and then with other young males. As they grow, sparring with other males helps them establish their position within the mob. With experience, the sparring sessions become longer and more intense.
Kangaroos use their sharp claws, strong back legs, and muscular tails —capable of supporting their entire body weight — to deliver powerful kicks that could disembowel a human.
However, these youngsters were only playing and started grooming each other shortly afterward.
This is one of my absolute favorite photos from 2024, but the year isn’t over yet, so we will see which one wins in the end.
🦘Kangaroo Island Kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus)
📍Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Sometimes, simple is best—just a few grazing sheep and the beauty of the rising sun. There’s something about that golden light that makes everything—sheep butts included—look fabulous!
We were on our way to Seal Bay for a 7am appointment with the research team when we came across these sheep grazing peacefully as the sun rose. Everything was bathed in gold; it was breathtaking.
Unfortunately, we were in a hurry and couldn’t afford to stop for too long. I literally jumped out of the car and quickly took a few photos, hoping some would be good enough 😅.
📍Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Did you know that woodpeckers store seeds, berries, and acorns in the hollows of trees to prepare for the winter? In late autumn, these resourceful birds not only stash food for the colder months but also occasionally utilize these tree hollows as shelter for resting.
Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
📍Lidingö, Stockholm (Sweden)
Another hoarder 😉 squirrels are, of course, known for squirreling (pun intended) food to prepare for the cold season. They stopped a few moments between supply runs to pose for the 2024 Halloween cards, though.
Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
📍Lidingö, Stockholm (Sweden)
All photos were taken with Canon EOS R5 and Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM.
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It’s World Kangaroo Day!
Happy World 🦘Kangaroo Day!
📸 Canon R5 & Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
📍Kangaroo Island, South Australia
🦘Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Joey (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus)
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Squirrel
Swift and agile
Sleek and prehensile –
Skittering across bark
And as dexterously over brick –
Squirrel.
The arch survivor –
A thief in woodland
A bandit of suburbia,
Beautiful peanut pirate.
You skim the rigging of
Rotary washing lines
And old telephone wires:
Your sail-tail
A Spinnaker of balance –
A back garden acrobat.
Grey down of fur covers
The machine of sinew
Tendons tight
Like bowstrings
Wired to shoot across
Fence top,
Gate post, sign post,
Post box – post haste.
The highwayman of the high street,
Terror of the terraces
Ply your profession –
Livelihood in the manmade Landscape.
A narrow escape
With a clutch of grapes
Hijacked from garden vine
Jam-packed with sweet juice.
You make a getaway
Into ornamental spruce
Where you have your hideaway.
by Finn Farnsworth who came second in the People Need Nature competition set on the Young Poets’ Network.
To read more poems, click here.
