Today’s post is all about wild animals. All sizes and a fair variety.

Let us begin today with “little critters”. Insects, spiders, and even an amphibian. Then comes the avian types, and finally our cousins (sort of) the mammals.

I found this group of butterflies in a small clearing in an Illinois forest. Make hay while the sun shines, even in a woodland. The light was both streams of light between the trees, and butterflies at the edge of light.

I found one that preferred the strong sunlight of an open field. I like the pose with this one.

Creating images of insects and other tiny critters,, especially those with the gift of flight, means patience and slow thoughtful moves.

Of course, whenever possible I search for variety, of both subject and light.

A dragonfly was appreciated.

Members of the spider world also qualify.

Okay this Salamander is not as tiny as those that precede it, but we are still speaking of only a few inches with this one.

Slow movement and patience, patience, patience will be your best friend.

Okay, how about photography’s most popular overall category. Bird, birds, birds.

Swallows of every kind are popular, and their images sell pretty well too.

Never ignore baby birds even when they are pretty good sized puffballs. These too Great-horned owlets watched me as I watched and photographed them. Dad was less than twenty feet from them in another tree. He had gotten used to me and barely paid attention.

There are many birds that are indigenes to specific places and even altitudes. This Clarke’s Nutcracker was photographed in Colorado above 10,000 feet.

Of course birds that spend their time in or near the water are among the easiest to photograph. Below we find a Virginia Rail shorebird, and a male Duck.

An itchy Goose.

Grebes, especially at sunrise, are cooperative subjects.

Male Ruddy Duck and a tangled bit of weeds.

How about our closest relatives, the mammals.

A red Fox kit.

A bighorn Sheep.

Let us finish with this Mountain Goat in Colorado. I enjoyed my time with this fellow but I did not truly appreciate the climb I made in order to be close.

May God Bless,
Wayne