Book Tours

Unique Neighbors

“A Wolf Like No Other” When I first saw the Maned Wolf, I was taken aback. It has the face of a fox, the body of a wolf and the long legs of I don’t know what. It stands fairly tall at about 3 ½ feet at the shoulder. We were staying at a place that they were known to wander through, so we sat and waited. Lo and behold, this one and a couple of others trotted through. [Brazil]
“Old man of the Forest” Orangutans have been called the “old man of the forest” and when I saw this boy, I could see why. Orangutans are critically endangered. As he gazes off into the forest, I wonder what changes he has seen. [Borneo]
“Just One Look” This Tamandua was busy doing the things that anteaters do…foraging for ants, termites and other tasty treats that they enjoy. You need to be up early to see anteaters as they are primarily nocturnal. This one gave us one last look before heading into its nest in a tree for the day. [Brazil]
“Funny Face” Ok, we can’t make fun, but Tapirs do have a funny face. Their noses articulate like an elephant’s trunk and those ears are just precious. While tapirs eat a variety of fruits and seeds, this one staked out a mango tree that had been dropping lots of fruit. I get it. I love mangoes too! [Brazil]
“Aye, Matey” This is the Aye Aye lemur, one of the most endangered species on our planet. There are so few left that each time we go to Madagascar, we wonder if it will be last one we see. They are a fascinating and gentle creature with really unique features, among them being their extra-long finger used to pull food from small crevasses. [Madagascar]
“Connection” One of the things I love about Madagascar is the connection that you can make with the lemurs. They are all endangered species and 98% face extinction but being in their presence, brings a wonderful calm. This is a Black and White Ruffed Lemur that we got to just hang out with. [Madagascar]
“Changing Color” Chameleons have amazing adaptations: From their rotating eyes, to their clingy feet to their ability to change color – they are pretty cool. This is a Helmeted Chameleon. [Kenya]
“The Warm Cluster” As Monarchs overwinter in Mexico, it can get quite cold in the mountain forest. At night, they cluster on the limbs and trunks of the Oyamel Fir trees. The subtle warmth given off by the tress act like a hot water bottle that helps them get through the cold night. Clustered together, they keep warm and await the sunlight. [Mexico]
“Nothing to Howl About Here” As we made our way through the forest, we came across a troop of Howler monkeys. It was late in the day so there was no howling, just foraging and relaxing. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon. [Brazil]
“A Special Spangle” This is one of those cases where you thumb through a field guide and say to yourself, ‘wow, I wish I could see that bird!” The Spangled Coquette is found in southern Ecuador and it really lives up to its name with all of its colors and flourishes. We went to a place specifically in of seeing it and got lucky! [Ecuador]
“Big Eyes and Funny Feet” This Western Tarsier (aka Horsfield’s Tarsier) is a nocturnal species that springs from branch to branch looking for insects and other things to eat. They can be very fast, moving through the forest with ease, but when one stops for a look those big brown eyes and wonderful hands and feet just make you smile! [Borneo]
“Ear Tufts – Pretty and Functional!” Here’s a cool cat. It’s called a Caracal. One of the things I love about these cats is their neat ear tufts. A fun fact about them is that they not only use them as camouflage in tall grasses but also as a communication tool with other caracals in the area. A twitch here and a twitch there and they send a quiet note to a friend. I imagine it’s like a Morse code for Caracals. [Tanzania]

On the Move

“Hitchhikers” This Warthog was heading to a watering hole in search of a little rest and a drink while Oxpeckers came along for a ride. [Botswana]
“Nectar on the Wing” This Pallas's Long-tongued Bat comes in for a drink. Using our high-speed flash system, we can capture these wonderful flying friends in flight! [Costa Rica]
“Leap” We saw this coyote working its way along a river and stayed with it for quite a while, keeping just ahead of its pace. It was very intent on where it was going so it paid us no mind. A group of fallen tees didn’t even slow it down. Over it went. [Yellowstone]
“A Mother’s Dedication” I love this badger. We were lucky enough to get to spend time watching a den during a spring visit to Yellowstone. This mother had 3 little kits that she cared for beautifully. Here she is bringing food in for their nourishment. Sad for the gopher but good for the kits. [Yellowstone]
“Coming Through” Red-eyed tree frog gets ready for a leap. These frogs are such an icon of Costa Rica. [Costa Rica]
“In Style” Every time I remember this moment, I get a song in my head… “There she was, just walking down the street, Singing, “do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do.” This jaguar had a wonderful stride. She owned the bank and hunted well from it. [Brazil]
“A Spring in Your Step” This is a Dancing Sifaka, one of the many treasures of Madagascar and a species that we really enjoy every time we visit. They don’t actually dance but it looks like they are as they spring between trees to and cover ground. They definitely get extra points for their elegant style. [Madagascar]
“Tiger Cub” Bengal Tigers are big cats. This is one of three tiger cubs that we spent time with and you can just see how big those paws are. It will definitely grow into them. [India]
“Keeping Pace” Being on foot with a wild Puma as she traverses the beautiful landscape of Torres del Paine is an incredible experience. Quiet and calm, her pace is slow but steady. Her strides are slightly longer than mine, so for me, it was a matter of keeping pace. I can’t wait to be in her presence again. [Patagonia, Chile]
“Orange in Your Eyes” There’s nothing quite like being in the midst of millions of Monarch butterflies. Hear their wings and the slight of them fill your eyes. The forest is alive with butterflies! [Mexico]
“Ready for Takeoff” On the cold morning in Bosque, the Sandhill cranes wake up in the safety of their pod but then it is time for breakfast and that means flying to the fields. Takeoff seems to be a ceremonial thing where they go through a series of moves that includes leaning far forward and seeing who will take off first. It almost seems like a dare. [Bosque del Apache, New Mexico]
Nicole Portfolio - On the Move - 012
“On the Prowl but Being Cute About it” Bat-eared foxes are so cute its almost hard to see them as a predator, but this one was serious and on the hunt. [Tanzania]

Life on Four Legs

“Footprint” I can’t tell you how difficult it is to get a photo of the underside of a Brown Bear’s hind foot! This bear had been sleeping but eventually it stirred and had a little stretch. [Alaska]
“A Pause in Paradise” This Puma is resting in one of the more beautiful places in the world, Torres del Paine. [Patagonia, Chile]
“Contemplation” If you are fortunate enough to spend any time at all with these gentle giants, you can’t help but wonder what is going through their mind. [Rwanda]
“A Big Meal” This elephant had died of natural causes. Old age perhaps. But nothing goes to waste here and elephant became lion. [Botswana]
“Last Morsels” Bengal tiger finishes up a meal. This is an older cub that is still with its mother and siblings but will be out hunting on its own soon. [India]
“Phew! Thanks for Stopping!” One of the toughest things about photographing the frantic pine martin, a member o f the weasel family, is that they rarely sit still. [Yellowstone]
“The Circle of Life” As hard as it is to witness, it is always the case that one thing must give its life for another to survive. These are two Wolf pups, almost fully grown, enjoying the remains of the day. [Yellowstone]
“The Throne Room” This beautiful female jaguar and her nearly full-grown cub are at the very pinnacle of this ecosystem. [Brazil]
“Enjoying the View” This lion is enjoying the view as flamingos dance in his front yard. [Tanzania]
“Becoming Lions” When lion cubs are first born, mom keeps them away from the pride for safety but as they get older, like these, they join the pride, meet their cousins and learn the ways of the pride. This family was full of fun, romping together and making “play” attacks on each other. You can see that lion look in their eyes. [Kenya]
“I Hear You Under There” Fox use their incredible hearing to hunt for voles and pocket gophers as they scurry below in the subnivean layer of snow. Lunch may be ready! [Yellowstone]
“Day Bed” We spent a little time with this Brown Bear as we waited for our bush plane to pick us up. She had made a perfect bed in the rock sand and enjoyed her sleep along the beach. Eventually she got up and walked on to forage for food. Having nothing left to photograph and wanting a little rest ourselves, Steve and I tried out her bed. It was perfectly positioned out of the cold wind and soft from her depression. A fun spot to have gotten to share. [Alaska]
“Eye on the Prize” On the African plains, everyone is watching everyone. [Kenya]
“The Ravens Give it Away” As it goes, a young bison had died in the night, but nothing goes to waste in the wild. It was within the territory of this coyote and its mate and as the ravens came to consume the scraps, coyote returned to join them. [Yellowstone]
“Split Second Pause” To say that ermine are fast is an understatement. They are not only fast but their patterns are frenetic and erratic. Steve and I found a hole with tracks around it and being the optimists that we are we stood there thinking maybe it would return. Luck shined and from the corner of my eye I saw it leaping through the snow. We must have looked weird because this little one stopped for a second to check us out before diving beneath the snow again. [Yellowstone]
“Reflections” A coyote travels across the cold terrain. [Yellowstone]
“Stay Hydrated” Yellowstone in winter is pretty dry in spite of all the snow on the ground. As we drink up throughout the day, so too do the wildlife, like this coyote, stop for a drink. [Yellowstone]

Family Love

“Love Ball” The lioness climbed yhe tree and stood on a branch…”Arhoo….Arhoo…” she called in a low voice. That call as we found out was lion for “kids, come over here.” From all directions, from all sorts of tangles and shrubs and grasses, lion cubs trotted out. They greeted mom in a pile and love was all around. Tanzania]
“A Drink with Mom” It’s not every day that you get to spend time with a mother Jaguar and her cub but that’s just what we got to do this particular morning in the Pantanal. She showed her cub the riverbanks and took breaks as her little caught up. Here, mom stopped for a drink and her cub joined her. [Brazil]
“Sun Salute” Each morning, the Ring-tailed Lemurs face the sun to warm their bodies. My body temp seems to run cold so I know how nice that can feel. Here a mother faces the sun warming her body and that of her little one. [Madagascar]
“The Cat Stroller” Lionesses are very protective of their cubs especially when they are very young. They raise them away from the pride for the first two months of their lives. Here, a mother lion carries one of her two cubs to a safe spot in thickets to spend the night. The tall grass and hummocks had tired those little legs. [Kenya]
“The Best Water” After eating, lions often want to have a drink to cleanse their palette. Knowing this, we went over to the nearest watering hole we could find and setup for that. It was a bit of a wait, but it paid off as the whole pride came in. Here, three young lions jokey for one small sot. The water must have tasted extra good there. Or, maybe they just liked being near each other. [Botswana]
“Surprise! Mama has a Baby!” Brazil is full of surprises. This morning, we were hoping to get to see a Giant Anteater. We went out before dawn and watched for shadows. Lo and behold our eyes fell upon one foraging the field. After spending some time with it, it disappeared into a thicket bit moments later, she emerged, wither baby on her back! [Brazil]
“Big Kiss” Ahhh! When mama comes in for a big kiss and a cuddle, just soak it up! [Kenya]
“Adopted” When a Canada goose lays an egg in a Sandhill Crane nest you get a mixed family. It happened during a big rainstorm when the goose’s nest was flooded and lost. The cranes as their own, even teaching it to eat worms. [Michigan]
“Kisses for Mom” We have Groundhogs around our house and they are pretty fun to watch, especially when they have rolly-polly young ones. Here, one of the little ones comes out of the burrow and shares a nuzzle with mom. [Michigan]
“Spunky Little Cub” This yearling Brown Bear cub was ready to play. So, taunting mom, he rose up like a big bear on two legs and tried to give her a swat. Mom took it well and played back gently but eventually bowled him over. He seemed to enjoy it. [Alaska]
“Three Brothers” Cheetahs are an endangered species that are on the brink of extinction die to humans taking over their habitat and hunting them, as well as competition from other wildlife. Of all the cats, they require more territory to survive. Here, three brothers, form a coalition. They will hunt together for a while helping each other survive.[Kenya]
“Learning the ropes” One of the most important roles of all animal mothers is to teach their little ones how to get by in the world. [Kenya]
“A Little Snuggle” We watched this family of five fox kits play. The romped and pounced, bit and hid. It was full on play but as they tired, they also snuggled and reinforced their bonds with each other. [Newfoundland]
“Newborn Chick” This was the first Sandhill crane chick that I ever got to see hatch from an egg and watch grow up. The dedication of the parents was wonderful to see. [Michigan]
“Rough Housing” Two Brown bear cubs playing in the sedges. The one on the right was a little smaller but definitely gave it right back to its sibling. [Alaska]