Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel

A Golden-mantled ground squirrel at Estes Park, Colorado. July 2013.

Nikon D300 | Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IF-ED

Loving Lizards

Took this shot at the Indianapolis Zoo a couple years ago.

Still one of my favorite photos.

Nikon D300 | Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IF-ED

Wood Duck Pair

One of the eight pairs of wood ducks that stopped in for a visit on their journey north last week. These guys pass through during spring and fall migration for brief resting periods. They're such a joy to watch, but are very timid and difficult to observe without a hunting blind.

 Nikon D7100  |  Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 APO DG OS

Froggy Style

Three frogs sun bathing on algae in my pond last summer.

Nikon D300 | Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IF-ED

White-tailed Fawn - Eagle Creek Park

This White-tailed fawn appeared to be as interested in me as I was her.

Eagle Creek Park, Indianapolis. November 2013.

Nikon D7100 | Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IF-ED  

Mule Deer - Garden of the Gods

Caught this doe and her fawn at the Garden of the Gods.

Now those are some serious mule ears!

Colorado Springs, Colorado. August 2013.

Nikon D300 | Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IF-ED

White-tailed Deer - Indianapolis

This female White-tailed Deer was observed in the 555 acre Crown Hill Cemetery, in the heart of Indianapolis. For those of you who are interested, you can compare these images to the Mule Deer in the previous post. Notice the white around her eyes and how her tail differs from the Mule Deer's tail. July 2010.

Nikon D300 | Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IF-ED

Mule Deer - North Rim Grand Canyon

Male Mule Deer
North Rim, Arizona. August 2013.

Though similar in appearance to the White-tailed Deer, you can tell this is a Mule Deer by noting several characteristic features. This male has a white rump and white tail that terminates with dark dipped appearance. The White-tail Deer, on the other hand, has a mostly brown top-side of tail terminating in white which wraps around to the under-side of the tail. When raised in alarm the white underside serves as a nice, bright flag to warn other deer of nearby threats. You see this most frequently when they are running from danger, which ironically makes them much easier to spot in the woods. The face on this Mule Deer is a fairly consistent brownish-gray shade around the nose and eyes. White-tail Deer have characteristic white markings around their eyes and nose. The male Mule Deer has bifurcated antlers, which means they fork rather than branch off from a single trunk as they do on the White-tailed. The bifurcated antlers on this buck are clear in the photo. The Mule Deer was so named for its large mule-like ears. In North America the Mule Deer predominate in the western states and the Rocky Mountain region. White-tail are most common east of the Rockies.

Nikon D7100 | Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IF-ED

Mountain Goat - Mt. Evans

A mountain goat on Mount Evans.

Colorado 2013.

Nikon D300 | Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IF-ED  

Yellow-Bellied Marmot - Mt. Evans

The yellow-bellied marmot, though sometimes called a rockchuck, woodchuck, whistle pig, or ground hog, is actually a large ground squirrel.  But, no matter what you call it, it is still a rodent!  When threatened by predators the marmot chucks, whistles and trills to warn its colony. Yellow-bellied marmots spend much of their time sunbathing on rocky outcrops, socializing and grooming. Unlike their neighbor, the American Pika (previous blog post), marmots hibernate during the winter. To prepare for hibernation, they fatten up in the warmer months to ensure their survival until the emergence of vegetation in the spring. 

Mount Evans, Colorado. July 2013.

Canon EOS 50D | Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM 

American Pika - Mount Evans

A Pika (sometimes spelled Pica) at approximately 14,000 ft. elevation on Mt. Evans. I found this little critter scurrying about in and out of the rocks as I was photographing his neighbor, the Yellow-bellied Marmot (photos coming soon). The cute, short eared herbivore was busy foraging for food, which it stores in caches beneath the rocks for the winter months when vegetation is scarce.

Mount Evans, Colorado. July 2013.

Canon EOS 50D | Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

Wild Bison - North Rim, Grand Canyon

A pair of bison calves sparring along Arizona Route 67 near North Rim.

August 2013.

Nikon D7100 | Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IF-ED