You are browsing archives for
Marty’s photo of the day #5004: With all the exotic species, exclusive to the Galapagos Islands, it’s easy to overlook other species, such as this whimbrel, which are just passing through. These birds can fly nonstop over the ocean for 2,500 miles or more. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
Marty’s photo of the day #5003: Marine iguanas are the only lizard that feeds in the ocean—evolving to eat algae. They can hold their breath for up to thirty minutes and dive down to nearly fifty feet. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
Marty’s photo of the day #5002: Today is No Kings Day! Well, except for this king angelfish, which has more integrity in its anal fin than that whiny-little-bitch-participation-trophy king has ever had. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
Marty’s photo of the day #5001: This is a blue-chin parrotfish, and it grows to 30 inches in length. Like all parrotfish, it has two sets of teeth. The first set is fused into a beak that allows it to crush coral to feed on algae. The second set is in its throat, which grinds […]
Five years ago, the cutest little saw-whet owl showed up on the porch steps of Deb’s and my house. I shot a bunch of photos, including this one. Since that time, I’ve never seen more than a glimpse of a saw-whet owl on our property. But I sure have heard them! In fact, every night […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5000: Today, I’ve hit 5,000 photos of the day. I haven’t gone artsy for a while, so here’s an artsy photo of a Galapagos sea lion. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
Marty’s photo of the day #4999: San Cristobal lava lizard males defend their territories by performing rapid push-ups to warn their rivals. If their displays fail, they will engage in physical combat. And despite what Annie Savoy said to Nuke Laloosh in the movie Bull Durham, the lava lizards of the Galapagos Islands cannot breathe […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4998: Photographing a Nazca booby in flight is tricky. They are agile in the air, cruising at 25 miles-per-hour and diving at 60 miles-per-hour. Ultimately, I ended up deleting many photos of the empty sky. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
Marty’s photo of the day #4997: On the Galapagos Islands, Darwin’s finches (more closely related to tanagers than true finches) are special because they helped Charles Darwin formulate his theory of evolution by natural selection. There are 13 to 18 recognized species (depending on who’s counting) on the islands, with the key differences being the […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4996: My general rule for wildlife photo editing is to reject any shot that takes more than a few minutes of work. This one of a spotted eagle ray took longer and is still far from perfect. I’m sharing it mostly for the circumstances behind the photo. Deb and I […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4995: One of the great faces of the Galapagos Islands. This is a marine iguana.
Marty’s photo of the day #4994: Here’s a second photo from yesterday at Freezeout Lake (45 miles northwest of Great Falls, MT). The official migrating snow goose count yesterday was 51,500 (down from the peak of 63,500 a day earlier). Last night, when Deb and I went over all the photos I shot, she commented […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4993: Deb, Nellie, and I just returned from an overnight adventure. Yesterday, we drove 200 miles north to Great Falls, Montana, where we stayed in a hotel. Then, this morning, we got up before sunrise and drove another 45 miles to Freezeout Lake. Twice before, I’d made the Freezeout Lake […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4992: In recent weeks, I have been featuring the wildlife of the Galapagos Islands. I’m taking a brief break from that theme to feature some of the plant life on the islands. Here’s a cactus flower. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
Barry, Beth, and Jenny ride again! The Silver Squad Rides Again picks up where the multi-award-winning The Silver Squad: Rebels With Wrinkles left off. This time Barry, Beth, and Jenny take on a trapper who tortured a wolf and a health insurance company that has denied a fifteen-year-old girl the surgery she desperately needs. Meanwhile, […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4991: In recent weeks, I have been featuring the wildlife of the Galapagos Islands. I’m taking a brief break from that theme to feature some of the plant life on the islands. This is the flower of a Mexican palo verde. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
Marty’s photo of the day #4991: In recent weeks, I have been featuring the wildlife of the Galapagos Islands. Today, I’m switching to plant life. This is a Galapagos passionflower. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
Mockingbirds—obviously mocking me for my lack of feathers. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
Marty’s photo of the day #4990: Marbled rays are nocturnal hunters that can reach 10 feet in length and 6 feet in width. While generally non-aggressive, they possess a venomous tail spine for defense. They are protected within the Galapagos Marine Reserve. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
Marty’s photo of the day #4989: Blue-footed boobies are accomplished divers that plunge into the ocean, reaching speeds of sixty miles-per-hour to catch fish. The blue in their feet comes from carotenoid pigments in their diet, signaling health to potential mates. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
