Bronx Zoo

Posted on September 8, 2012 by admin

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Wanna play catch?!

Toco toucans do. Grapes have a dual purpose—as a part of these birds’ diet, and as a gift—as this toucan makes a catch for his catch. Pitching and catching fruit is a courtship ritual as noted by National Geographic.

To catch the action, I used a high ISO with no flash. Some zoos don’t permit the use of a flash, so check the rules before using one, or try adjusting your camera’s ISO. For more zoo photo tips, see my article at Nikon.

This pair lives in the World of Birds at the Bronx Zoo.

Photo credit: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

Posted on September 6, 2012 by admin

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Amur tiger cubs, and three of them, just debuted at the Bronx Zoo. They weighed about two-and-a-half to three pounds at birth and now, at four months of age, tip the scale at 45 pounds each. They are already superstars, and even made the New York Times.

Tigers are critically endangered with fewer than 3,200 remaining in the wild. We gladly celebrate these special births at the zoo, and I get to take many photos. My first assignment was to get all three tiger cubs in one shot. It sounds easy, right?!

The cubs love their home and their mother, and they like to RUN in all directions, but never three at a time into the space I frame with my camera. Several hundred pictures and several days later, I had to ask our animal staff for help, and we finally got their attention in an image that includes them all as the cubs took a very brief break from their busy play schedule.

Source: Wildlife Conservation Society

Photo credit: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

Posted on September 5, 2012 by admin

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Ostrich photobombers.

Even animals seem to like picture crashing as these ratites (large, flightless birds) photobombed my recent giraffe assignment at the Bronx Zoo. I worked with our keepers for a long time to get our entire giraffe herd in one frame. At the magic moment, OSTRICH PHOTOBOMB.

It went on for an hour, and they never gave up.

Credit: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

Posted on September 2, 2012 by admin

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Many of my favorite photo subjects hatch in the nursery of the World of Reptiles at the Bronx Zoo. The keeper staff keep accurate records of egg incubation and call me over when they see the hatchlings “pip” or crack their egg to emerge. This Mertens’ Water Monitor looked very small when it was so carefully coiled in its egg, but once free, it was more than 8 inches long. I used a 60mm lens with a Nikon R1C1 Speedlight System to get the shot. The R1C1 is like having a perfect little studio just the right size for macro work. Best photo op – adult monitors are on exhibit at the World of Reptiles. Check the nursery to see what’s new, too.

Sources: Bronx Zoo, ZooBorns.com

Posted on September 1, 2012 by admin

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Today, my blog is for the birds. September 1 is Vulture Awareness Day. Times are tough for these large birds of prey. Lovers of carrion (decaying flesh,) vulture numbers have dropped by over 95% in parts of the world due to a drug occurring in some of their food. It is toxic in their systems according to conservationists at WCS.

This cinereous vulture is my neighbor at the Bronx Zoo. Stop by, or visit your local zoo and pay tribute to these birds that are members of nature’s clean up crew.

Source: bronxzoo.com, wcs.org

WCS In Focus

Photos from Our Wild Side by Julie Larsen Maher

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