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Another peek at the park, Rocky Mountain National Park. This one from a backpacking trip. I try to do a trip with my boys every year - used to do them one on one now they take pity on their old man and do them together. Don't usually take a camera but decided to bring one this time - snapped this pic right before we turned in for the night...and spotted a bear.
High mountain hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park - came over the ridge line when we spotted these elk having a snack and enjoying the view.
Same trip as the Dream Lake hike - Emerald Lake is just a bit further above Dream Lake. This was not on the original hiking itinerary, but my son who is part mountain goat, always adds a few extra miles and side trips into the mix!
Another shot of MTNS in Rocky Mountain National Park this time with an approaching snow storm that would dump a fair bit of much needed snow.
I missed the family Fall Elk camping trip to Rocky Mountain National Park while I was traveling in India but managed to sneak up over the weekend and got a few pics. Even thought the light wasn't great - the best part was being with my Fam!
Another of the 8 tigers we saw while visiting Tadoba Tiger Reserve. Here's one that crossed near a confluence of several roads that facilitated a major pile up. I have to say the Reserve system in India is pretty good at managing visitors but occasionally you see a pile up like this and I have to ask are we loving them to death!
The Khushuut Valley with sacred Sutai Mountain in the background - last time I was here the mountain was shrouded in fog so it was awesome to see it in person. While here we saw Ibex, marmots and wolves but no snow leopards.
Came over a ridge and bumped into some Big Horn Sheep - they seemed unconcerned by our presence - gave them their space as I'd rather not find out what getting smashed with their horns feels like!
Sticking with the animal theme from recent India trip - another shot from Pench Tiger Preserve - this one of Langurs - love these critters so expressive and always ready willing and able to pose for you! Back home now and diving back into the Flickrsphere!
I usually head up to the Park (RMNP) in the fall to watch the elk during the rut but they are always so difficult to get close to other times of the year. Lucked out and spotted this male while hiking and managed to get reasonably close - love to see them with their velvet and antlers still in the making.
Aerial view of Paradise Wetlands on the edge of Black water Lake near the Khovd Aimag center in Western Mongolia.
Foxes silhouetted against the sunset on Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands National Park. After about 30 minutes of photographing the foxes, with a long hike back to camp ahead of us and light fading my son and I left our cliff side perch to start hiking back. I stopped for one last look back at the sunset and saw these foxes meticulously scanning the area where we sat for crumbs (I assume). Sorry guys but we were very careful and left nothing to chance…but thanks for the memories!
Mashomack Preserve on Shelter Island is considered one of the richest habitats in the Northeast. The preserve protects and maintains 11 miles of coastline and acres of creeks, woodlands and fields all just 90 miles from New York City. Read more about it here: www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-p...
Got to visit there this past June for an Energy & Infrastructure team meeting. Enjoyed the place immensely and was lucky enough to spot one of the local residents pictured here.
After a long travel bender back home to enjoy a little local color - a few hikes and backpacking trips where I shot this pic in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Traveling in Australia at the moment in the Kimberley - Derby to be exact - connectivity is very limited able to throw up a photo - but it takes 10 minutes to do so! Will be back in the flickr-sphere soon catching up on all the great photos out there. This shot taken on summer work/fun trip from San Francisco to Portland, OR them to Missoula MT them back home to Colorado via Yellowstone - think the Griswold's to get the right sense of the trip!
During the rut almost everyone spends their time eyeing the bucks but the does are also so beautiful...and certainly more sane!
Orb web spider (Argiope sp.) seen in Kanha Tiger Preserve India - love the details on the body, almost looks like someone painted it and the symmetry of the web is fabulous! My son couldn't disagree more!
Recent trip to Mumbai had me stuck in windowless conference rooms and longing to get out for some photography. Had planned to get out on the weekend but alas the weather did not cooperate - with pouring rain from Friday night to Monday morning - just in time for the Monday meetings! I got some writing done at least - posting a shot from my short half day trip to the Taj from last year - in brutal fog that made the drive harrowing but the pics interesting!
This deer seemed totally oblivious to the tiger napping in and out of the water. Everyone got very excited when the deer walked into the water backwards presumably to cool down – but as much as we hoped we would see the epic chase scene it was not to be – the tiger wanted no part of it - it was almost 40 degrees Celsius after all so I don’t blame him.
Quick backpacking trip over the weekend to Rocky Mountain National Park - this time to East Inlet Trail where we saw 7 moose. I love the west side of the park as there are less humans and more wildlife - at least in my opinion. This moose came over for breakfast and seemed to enjoy my boys tent - love the "look" on her face!
Hiking the high country above the tree line when we saw a group of female Big Horn Sheep with babies - they seemed as interested in us as we were with them - when they started to get very close we hightailed it out of there but of course not before I took a few pics!
One my way back to the hotel from a meeting my collogue suggested we stop at Qutb Minar – the site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and home to the world's tallest masonry minaret at 73 meters tall. The light was fantastic and color of the tower really popped but decided a black and white depiction added an air of mystery.
On some of the lists of the seven wonders of the world the Taj Mahal is indeed an epic place but probably the most memorable part of the experience for me was the trip from Delhi to Agra. Since I was in India for work I didn't have a lot of time so a colleague and I blocked out a "decompression" day to go from Delhi and Agra and back. But what we didn't realize is that at this time of the year the night and early morning are completely choked with fog - think dense impenetrable fog! Needless to say it was a harrowing drive. The driver we hired originally tried to talk us out of leaving at 4am but we wanted a shot at the morning light - lets just say it was a drive I will never forget. In the end we made it and enjoyed our visit and got some decent light and were able to take a few shots without a ton of people.
We stopped at a picturesque clearing in Pench to watch a troop of monkeys frolic when another troop entered the scene and the action started. There was a lot of posturing until a major fight erupted - with the low light I didn't get any of the good fight scenes but this standoff that preceded the action says it all!
A break from the people portraits for a little of the wild side of India. Pictured here a shot the Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) in the buffer zone on Kanha Tiger Preserve.
Sleeping under the stars in the Channel Islands National Park...Under a canopy of eucalyptus trees from Australia in California - its a small work after all!
Picture from my very first trip to Mongolia almost 10 years ago - seems like only yesterday - time flies when you are working hard and having fun - Happy 10th & keep up the great work!
Mongolian archery competitions are quite different from those held in the western world: the archers have not only one target, but hundreds of beadrs or surs (leather cylinders) on a huge wall. Teams between 5 and 10 men and women have to hit 33 surs, with a throwing distance of 75 m, the winner the first team to hit all targets. The winners of the game are granted the tittle of “national marksman” Mr. Dagvasuren pictured here is a national marksmen!
Another pic from Rocky Mountain National Park - I've seen moose in Canada, the NE U.S. and Wyoming, even in Colorado but never in the park so it was awesome to see. Actually saw 3 moose that day - include this guy who was walking with what I think was his mom!
Early morning view of Tost Uul Mountain in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. When the sun just starts to come up in the morning the place really does look like Mars...or what I think Mars might look like.
Argali at sunset Tost Uul Mongolia - see preceding pic to get a sense of the rack that argali have to carry around. Tost Uul Mongolia.
My good friend, colleague and Mongolian brother Gala proudly holds the final of 4 reports we completed for the Mongolian government. You'll note the cover photo is the same one seen in the background. The work has been an amazing effort by Mongolian partners that has lead to tremendous conservation outcomes. Following completion in 2011 of a regional conservation plan for the Eastern Mongolian Grasslands (published in 2011), 31 new protected areas covering 64 000 km2 were designated. Similarly, after completion in 2013 of a regional conservation plan for the Gobi Desert (published in 2013), 34 900 km2 of new protected areas were designated. In June 2016, planning for the remaining Western and Central regions was completed (Finally published in 2017), leading to a national conservation portfolio that now includes an additional 48 400 km2 of new protected areas. In total, approximately 150 000 km2 of new protected areas have been established (that's roughly the size of the state of New York or the country of Nepal) and the planning approach utilized was ratified by the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, thereby establishing it as a basis for mitigation policy. In addition, this process has led to significant regulatory and legal improvements within Mongolia that advance conservation. For example In 2012, the national Environmental Impact Assessment law was amended to require offsets for all new mineral and petroleum leases.
Another view of Tost Uul Mountains in the Gobi Desert - Mongolia. GOOD NEWS - The Mongolian office of the Prime Minister announced on Dec 22 that government established Tost Uul and surrounding area covering 652,528 hectares as “as a nationally significant reserve area”. Great way to end the year. To read more about The Nature Conservancy's work in Mongolia see: www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/asiaandthepacific/m...
Photo taken with DJI Inspire.
Ibex Tost Uul Gobi Desert Mongolia - Most of the Ibex we saw were pretty skittish but this one didn't seem to care much about the fact that we were close - they are beautiful beasts!
Compilation of images from Ranthambore Tiger Preserve in Rajasthan India. While the tiger marking its territory is cool I wanted to draw particular attention to the deer – if you can zoom in check out the eyes and you’ll notice 2 moths – 1 under each eye. It’s not a great picture but bizarre to see moths feeding on what I can guess are the tears of the deer! Insects are renowned for their strange tastes in food, but rare are those that feast on tears. When researchers announced back in the 1990’s that certain moths drank tears, their news was greeted with skepticism. Some entomologists thought it a freak behavior, but subsequent research has revealed tear drinking to be a specialized and sophisticated strategy. Moths that drink tears are fussy in their tastes, restricting their attentions to certain species of animal. The usual victims are either hoofed mammals, like the deer pictured here.
Sand bubbler crabs live in burrows in the sand, where they remain during high tide. When the tide is out, they emerge on to the surface of the sand, and scour the sand for food, forming it into pellets, which cover the sand in amazing patterns. As the tide rises it disintegrates the pellets and they start again the next day with a blank canvas creating another beautiful sand pellet painting!
The anomalous heat of this autumn has kept the main protagonists of the Grand Paradiso National Park aloft. Here in Valnontey the Chamois around 2400 meters, the Ibex at least 500 meters higher.
However, the beautiful light allowed me to capture beautiful Chamois.
Camosci nel Paradiso
Il caldo anomalo di questo autunno ha tenuto in alto i principali protagonisti del Parco Nazionale del Grand Paradiso. Qui a Valnontey i Camosci intorno ai 2400 metri, gli Stambecchi almeno 500 metri più in alto.
La bella luce mi ha consentito diverse foto ai Camosci.
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