View allAll Photos Tagged NatureDocumentary

Beneath the quiet hush of the forest floor, where the light barely filters through the canopy, a moment of life unfolds in secret. With wings like velvet painted in iridescent blue, the Archduke butterfly descends—not to bask in sunlight, but to feast on decay.

A forgotten fruit, shriveled and blackened, becomes a treasure trove of nutrients. The butterfly unrolls its slender proboscis and drinks deeply, drawing sustenance from what the forest leaves behind. There is elegance in this moment—where beauty meets the cycle of life and death, where even rot plays a vital role.

Here, in the silence, the Archduke reigns—not by grandeur or glory, but by the quiet persistence of life in the shadows.

In the dense rainforest, a long-tailed macaque sits quietly on a branch, cracking open a coconut.

This behavior is common among wild macaques, who have learned to use their hands skillfully to access food.

Surrounded by damp earth, moss-covered rocks, and filtered light, the monkey takes its time — alert, yet calm.

Moments like this show how deeply adapted these primates are to their forest environment, relying on both instinct and intelligence to survive.

Two zebras peacefully graze in the golden light of the Namibian savanna. The symmetry of their stripes against the dry grassland creates a striking natural contrast, showcasing the quiet rhythm of life in Africa's wilderness.

Greylag Goose Frenzy. Minor tribute to the wonderful BBC nature-documentaries

 

BIGGER & BETTER IN 1600PX

 

Can you spot & correctly ID the duck species tagging along?

This powerful image captures an adult rhinoceros wandering through the red sands of Namibia. A symbol of resilience and quiet strength, the rhino embodies the wild spirit of Africa’s vast and breathtaking landscapes.

An African elephant drinks gracefully from a serene waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia. The splash of water streaming from its curled trunk adds dynamic motion to this tranquil desert scene, showcasing the vital relationship between wildlife and water in Africa’s arid ecosystems.

Forest Gem

 

So there I was, barely awake at 4am for my very first bird watching trip. I dragged myself to La Mesa Ecopark before the 5:30am meetup, thinking I must be crazy to wake up this early just to look at birds. After some briefings about the eco park and what to expect, we headed into the nature trail around 6am. Two hours in, when my legs were already getting tired and I was wondering if we'd actually see more, our guide suddenly stopped and pointed up. There it was - a Philippine frogmouth just sitting there on a branch like it was posing for us. The guide mentioned these birds are pretty uncommon to spot, which made me feel like I'd won some kind of birding lottery on my first try. What struck me most was how the bird seemed just as curious about us as we were about it - like we were having this mutual staring contest in the middle of the forest.

The bird looked absolutely incredible perched on the tree there among the green leaves, almost like it was part of the tree itself. Its feathers were this mix of browns and grays that blended so well with the bark, and it had these distinctive tufts of feathers sticking up from its head. I managed to get my camera focused at about 12.75 meters away, and even with all my amateur fumbling with the settings, the shot came out pretty decent. The way it sat so still and alert, with those big dark eyes watching everything - and especially watching us - was both beautiful and slightly mysterious. Its camouflage was so good that I probably would have walked right past it if the guide hadn't spotted it first.

Two young lions stride side by side across the sunlit plains of Etosha National Park, Namibia. Their synchronized steps and focused gaze capture a moment of unity, power, and emerging maturity in the African wild.

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), Portland, Oregon

 

Media:

* Prehistoric Planet: Season 2, "Swamps": Tyrannosaurus rex brothers hunting Edmontosaurus

* Anze Rozman: "Tyrannosaurus Brothers"

Canon EOS

lens: Canon EF 70-200 L f/4 Is Usm

 

Iso100 200mm f/4.0 1/320sec.

 

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Info/contacts/demo:

www.mikerphotoart.wix.com/book

infomrphotoart@gmail.com

 

This Sri Lankan elephant, captured in black and white, showcases the power and grace of one of Asia's most revered species.

 

Known for their gentle nature yet immense strength, Sri Lankan elephants play a vital role in the island’s rich biodiversity.

 

This image emphasizes the intimate connection between these majestic creatures and their natural habitat, highlighting the importance of conservation efforts to protect them.

The travelogue on the left, with the waterfall, shows off sites in South P'yongan province. The unreleased animal "Face off" documentary is the real deal and has that clunky DPRK narration. It was deemed too graphic for Central Television - a.k.a., the Kim Channel - and shelved. There's no "Animal Planet" on DPRK television, so we can guess it went unseen there. In South Korea, the VCD goes for 1,000 won (about 90 cents US) a pop. ;-)

If you can guess what these are (and it's not something super obscure), I shall tip my hat to you.

Slow motion of a few of the 100+ flock of wild PINE SISKEN (Spinus pinus) songbirds who visited our garden in south Yukon, Canada. They quickly found the squirrel food depot, which keeps the squirrels from raiding our bird feeders.

 

Pine Siskens have fast reflexes and can move at blurring speeds. Pine Siskens flock together but have definite boundaries for their individual personal space which they're quick to defend, especially when food is involved. They are a nomadic species of irruptive winter finch and do not follow regular migration patterns. Instead, they select their habitat based on food supply. Pine Siskens have higher metabolic rates than similar song birds and can survive temperatures as low as -70C (-94F) by boosting their metabolism 500% for many hours during intense cold.

Vanessa Berlowitz, "Frozen Planet" producer

BBC Nature Series on the Discovery Channel

Pencil and graphite by Jack Wolf

The male's risky courtship ritual seen in my last photo has paid off! In my fourth (and all joking aside, my favorite) shot, we see that the female was impressed with the male's light-hearted playing mixed with his come-hither glances in her direction.

Ron poses proudly next to his dodecahedron hives. He designed them himself for maximum comfort and peace for the beehive. You can read about them in detail in an article run by the NY Times here: www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archiv...

Sitatunga Antelope drinks her reflection in Madrid Zoo, Spain

by Antonio Carty, contact: antoniocarty@gmail.com

 

The breathtaking Music is 'Benediction And Dream' sung by Lila Downs. It's the opening song from soundtrack to a movie called 'Frida' (2002) it's a Beautiful soundtrack & movie, about the life, blood and times of Mexican artists Frida Kahlo & her husband Diego Rivera. If you have not seen and heard, then I whole heatedly recommend!

-Antonio

Two students from Rock Country Day School pose with old comb that used to be in one of Ron's hives. Ron currently has a number of hives installed on the school grounds by invitation of the principal.

Ron Breland believes in teaching young people about bees, and inspiring in them, a sense of awe. It's his way of making sure the pollinator's will stay with us generations down the line.

Majora Carter is a recipient of the MacArthur Genius Grant and is working in the South Bronx to further green thinking and to help the bees in NYC. Learn more about Majora here: www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.1076861/apps/nl/con...{DD826DBF-DAE6-4730-A35C-8AA6FF8AF3DE}&notoc=1 And visit her website: www.majoracartergroup.com/

We ended our trip on a Green Rooftop in the Bronx. The roof has been featured on a number of programs on TV and was developed by the Majora Carter Group's green rooftop initiative. www.majoracartergroup.com/what-we-do.aspx . Zan (being filmed) is one of the beekeeper's who takes care of the hives here.

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