Wild Encounters in Yosemite

Yosemite National Park isn't just a haven for awe-inspiring landscapes; it's also home to a diverse array of wildlife that adds a layer of wonder to your visit. Capturing the park's inhabitants through the lens is a rewarding experience that offers a glimpse into the natural world's intricacies. Among the creatures I encountered were mule deer, Steller's jays, ground squirrels, and ravens, each offering a unique opportunity for wildlife photography.

Remember that photographing wildlife always requires patience and respect for these creatures' natural behaviors. Keep a respectful distance, avoid feeding them, and observe from a distance. With a keen eye and a quiet camera, you can capture the essence of Yosemite's wildlife and bring home lasting memories of your wild encounters.

Creatures of the Forest

In Kings Canyon National Park, I had the privilege of photographing the chipmunks, American robins, Western Bluebirds, and White-headed woodpeckers that inhabit the park’s forests. The forests at this park offered some really incredible lighting for some of the images - particularly the contrasted side lighting in the chipmunk images I am sharing here. Join me through a little walk in the woods where we encounter a range of inhabitants of this beautiful valley…

An Oasis Full of Birds

Fortynine Palms Oasis in Joshua Tree National Park, which I featured in my last blog post, is a rare and special place where desert wildlife unexpectedly thrives. One of the highlights of the oasis is the diverse range of bird species that call it home. Some of the most common include the Cactus Wren, which is known for its distinctive cactus-like nest, and the Black-throated Sparrow, which is often heard before it is seen due to its melodious song. I was also incredibly lucky to spot a kestrel amongst the fronds of the Californian fan palms, but didn’t get a good enough shot!

Paradise in the Desert

The Fortynine Palms Oasis is a natural oasis in the Mojave Desert, located in the lesser-known northern part of Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California. The oasis is named after the forty-nine Washingtonia filifera palm trees that are found there. These palm trees thrive in the desert environment and can grow up to 75 feet tall. The oasis has been used by various Native American tribes, such as the Serrano and Chemehuevi, for thousands of years as a source of water, shelter, and food. In the early 1900s, gold miners established a camp at the oasis and built a few structures that can still be seen today. Today, it is a protected area of the park and its water levels are carefully managed in order to conserve this incredible habitat.

A Collection of Cacti

Joshua Tree National Park is home to a variety of cacti species, each with its distinct characteristics and beauty. The Mojave Desert, which covers much of the park, provides an ideal environment for these hardy plants to thrive.

Perhaps the best known amongst them are the various species of cholla. Cholla cacti, also known as the "jumping cacti”, have a unique method of reproduction, where they detach and roll around in the wind to spread their seeds. The cholla cactus may look harmless, but their spines can easily cling to clothing and skin, earning them their "jumping" nickname. Cholla are just one of several species featured here - which also includes prickypear and barrel cacti varieties.

Balboa Park's Urban Wildlife

In San Diego, you don’t need to go too far to encounter wildlife. In fact, Balboa Park - a popular tourist spot featuring an assortment of local museums, gardens, and eateries - is an excellent place to spot some urban dwellers such as black phoebes, squirrels, and Eastern bluebirds. Here are some of my favourite images from an afternoon spent walking around the park and appreciating the urban wildlife that lives in this beautiful corner of Southern California.

Last Stop in Aotearoa

The Nelson Lakes National Park was the final destination on our travels through the South Island of New Zealand. The region is known for its large lakes with crystalline waters. In the winter, it also serves as a ski destination, nestled perfectly between the lakes and the surrounding alps. An excellent way to end our time in Aotearoa, and one of the very final places we had left to see here.

Keep an eye out for my blog posts over the next few weeks to see what I’ve been up to since moving all the way from New Zealand to the United States!

Abel Tasman Surroundings

The Abel Tasman region of New Zealand has many wonderful views to offer - green countryside, perfectly transparent water springs, and orange sand beaches! It is also at the very top of the South Island, meaning it has milder climate than most of the remaining island, and warm summers. Besides, the biggest city in the region, Nelson, has some of the best restaurants and wineries in all of New Zealand. It is no wonder the place is so popular with holidaymakers and retirees!

Below are just a few of my images from my brief visits to the Te Waikoropupū Springs and two of the local beaches…

West Coast Wildlife

New Zealand’s West Coast is full of opportunities to observe the local wildlife - from the friendly South Island robins and curious weka, to crowded colonies of New Zealand fur seals. In this blog post, I have gathered only a few of my images of the fauna that inhabit this special corner of Aotearoa.

Stars From The Underground

As night falls and darkness covers the land, the New Zealand landscape comes to light. I’m not referring to the stars in the skies of Aotearoa, but to their invertebrate counterparts. Glow worms such as these are abundant in many caves and dells across the country, shining bright to lure their prey. Their bioluminescence is the effect of a chemical reaction where luciferin is combined with oxygen to produce a mesmerizing blue glow...

Pancake Rocks and Their Inhabitants

These rock formations in New Zealand’s West Coast are, of course, named after their looks - they look like stacked rounded layers somewhat resembling pancakes. Pancake Rocks even boasts a suitably-themed pancake-serving café near the entrance to the park. I visited on a stormy evening and, although the weather left much to be desired, the white-fronted terns (Sterna striata) that inhabit this location more than made up for the moody skies.

Cute Little Visitor

Female tomtits have adorable disproportionately large heads for their minscule bodies. I was fortunate enough to spend some days living right next to a pair of these beautiful birds during my visit to Franz Josef village, and the female would often bring about new nesting material. Watching her hop from tree to tree through my telephoto lens was a great way to spend a lazy afternoon!

Animals of Serra da Capivara

Time for something a little different! This month, I am featuring the Serra da Capivara National Park, in the northeast of Brazil, over five weekend posts. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is of great interest to geologists, anthropologists, and animal behaviour scientists. It houses some of the oldest cave paintings in South America, and, for the animal enthusiasts among us, a tool-using population of capuchin monkeys. In this first blog post, I share some of the fauna inhabiting the park, including these clever primates. I was even lucky enough to watch them crack nuts with rocks for several minutes, and caught a couple of images of this behaviour too.

Birds of New Caledonia

One of the perks of my work is that I get to visit some beautiful places and get to see some amazing animal species. For three years, I visited New Caledonia to work with the incredible New Caledonian crows, a species that crafts and uses sticks and hooks as tools to extract grubs from rotten tree trunks. Here are some images of these crows, and a couple other endemic bird species that can be seen in the Grande-Terre island.

Sunset over the Mountains

Today I share images from yet another stunning Kaikoura landscape. Fyffe Quay is a popular sunbathing spot for New Zealand fur seals. They dawdle about well into the evening, providing an unusual opportunity to photograph them at dusk. I was lucky enough to spot a pup posing on a rocky wall, perfectly positioned against the snowy mountains in the background.

Fur Seals of Katiki Point

Although it is famous for its circular boulders (more on this next week!), Moeraki is also home to a large New Zealand fur seal colony. This is based at Katiki Point, a short walk from the lighthouse. This is an excellent place to get up close to the fur seals, as they climb up from the beach to the grass on either side of the marked path. In the summer, their coats stand in striking contrast to the dried yellow grass.

Orokonui Ecosanctuary

The Orokonui Ecosanctuary in Dunedin is an excellent place to meet some of New Zealand’s most charismatic bird species. This is an open natural reserve where endemic birds can live and breed in a large predator-free area. There are also plenty of bird feeders to supplement the birds’ diets. The many walks at the sanctuary can easily provide a whole day’s worth of birdwatching, and are definitely worth a visit.

Kiwi Birdlife Park

I always like to visit zoos and wildlife centres when I travel. Whilst visiting Queenstown, I stopped by Kiwi Birdlife Park to photograph New Zealand’s charismatic endemic bird species. This is a small park with a good range of species, from kākāriki (New Zealand parakeets) to pāteke (brown teal). I thoroughly enjoyed their educational presentation on conservation and their honey tasting session. Definitely worth a visit if you plan on stopping by Queenstown sometime soon!

Lagoons at Eduardo Avaroa National Park

Besides the stunning wildlife, the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve is dotted with many spectacular lagoons. Following on from Laguna Hedionda, we made our way through several more, such as Laguna Charcota and Laguna Verde. Most lagoons provide the opportunity to spot flamingoes, as well as other local wildlife.

The Best of Bolivian Fauna

The Eduardo Abaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve provided me with a unique opportunity to photograph some of Bolivia’s wildlife. Besides flamingoes (also featured on this blog post), I saw vizcachas, vicuñas and culpeo (or Andean fox). I’ll let the images speak for themselves…