Royal penstemon (Penstemon speciosus)

These beat up penstemon flowers were being hammered by wind, heavy rain, and insects. Still a beautiful beacon of blue in the desert landscape of Central Washington.



royal penstemon (Penstemon speciosus) blooming 

Night Sky

Photographing bats on a moonless night, as the team was putting gear away and preparing to leave, car lights and flashlights were turned on after hours of working in near complete darkness. The nearby basalt cliffs were slightly illuminated by our lights against a brilliant starry sky.



starry night, central washington.

Feral Pig (Sus scrofa)

You don't see this every day. 



feral pig (Sus scrofa) wading in the shallows of the gulf of mexico


Invasive, non-native feral pigs have become a quite a problem throughout North America. You can even find them in the Hawaiian Islands.



feral pig (Sus scrofa)

Nilgai Calf (Boselaphus tragocamelus)

Nilgai are native to India and Pakistan, where they are the largest species of antelope. However that are several free ranging populations in Texas, where they have readily adapted to the habitat.



newborn nilgai calf (Boselaphus tragocamelus) less than 24 hours old

Cuvier's Gazelle (Gazella cuvieri)

Another endangered gazelle. The global wild population of Cuvier's gazelles is estimated to be between 1,750 and 2,950 animals, most of which live in Morocco.


endangered cuvier gazelle (Gazella cuvieri)

Mhorr Gazelle (Nanger dama)

Another species on the brink of extinction. One of the sub-species (Nanger dama dama) is completely gone. This one lives on in captive breeding programs.


endangered mhorr gazelle (Nanger dama)



endangered mhorr gazelle (Nanger dama)

Scimitar-Horned Oryx (Oryx dammah)

Can this oryx be saved? Scimitar Oryx were hunted for their horns, almost to extinction. Where once they occupied the whole Sahara, they are now considered to be extinct in the wild, with no confirmed sightings in the wild for over 15 years. Although there have been unconfirmed sightings in Chad and Niger, these reports have never been substantiated, despite extensive surveys that were carried out throughout Chad and Niger in 2001-2004 in an effort to detect Sahelo-Saharan antelopes.

A global captive breeding programme was initiated in the 1960s. In 1996, there were at least 1,250 captive animals held in zoos and parks around the world with a further 2,145 on ranches in Texas. A herd exists in a fenced nature preserve in Tunisia, and is being expanded with plans for reintroduction to the wild in that country.

critically endangered scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah)

Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius)

Whenever I see "Kevin" from the pixar movie "UP", I think of the Cassowary Bird. It's not an exact match, but the Cassowary is a large and colorful bird. These birds, unlike Kevin, are not noted for their friendly demeanor. Quite the opposite in fact. To quote Wikipedia: The blade-like claws are capable of killing humans and dogs if the bird is provoked.


Portrait of a southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius)

Newborn Fawn (Odocoileus hemionus)

I have told this story before, but I was recently given some grief over this image of a newborn fawn. Clearly, I was using a wide angle lens and in close proximity to the animal. Typically, I give wild animals plenty of space, but this was a unique occasion.


Driving very early in the morning on a logging road in Eastern Oregon, I came around a bend and startled this fawn and her mother. Following instinct, the fawn dropped to the ground into a "hiding" position in the middle of the road and the mother leapt into the forest. Since the road was being used by large trucks and other vehicles, I didn't think the fawn would have survived long in that location.


Turning on my flashers I grabbed my camera, scooped up the fawn and moved it deeper into the forest about 40 yards off the road. It made no sound, and did not move. After placing it, I took a few shots and then left it in peace.


The mother will return, call her fawn and find her without much trouble. I have worked around calves and fawns with professional biologists long enough to know that the mother will not be put off by human scent. The mothering instinct is too strong to abandon her fawn based upon odor. 


I did not stick around to make sure there was a happy reunion, but I like to think there was.



newborn mule deer fawn (Odocoileus hemionus) hides in the forest