zoestephens's Favorites

The zebra was injured during the river crossing but made it to shore. A leopard appeared from nowhere to finish it off, but then the croc came from the water for a standoff... the croc eventually backed down.

Mama cheeta with 6 cubs! This cheeta mom must be the most patient and caring parent ever - cubs were playing around her head and suckling all the time when we were watching but she never once showed any annoyance. Truely amazing.

Incredible experience with this Mink. She was moving her babies from one den to another. When I arrived, I was told she had already moved 2. I saw her move 2 more.

Not sure why she was doing this, but guessing her den was disturbed somehow. It is right next to a place where fishermen sit, but not sure if it was that or another animal that got up in there.

Such interesting behavior to see!

On August 16, we witnessed what has to rank with one of the most incredible wildlife experiences I’ve ever had. Cheryl and I were on a trip with 6 other nature photographers and our leader. We had been in the Pantanal area of Brazil for about a week with 5 days along the Cuiaba River near Porto Jofre, looking for Jaguars and other photo ops. Our daily routine was breakfast at 5:30 AM and we took off on boats from 6 till about 11AM, lunch at noon at the lodge, then on the boats again 3PM till dark. Our group has 3 boats so just 3 people per boat so plenty of room for photo gear, etc. Over several days we had seen 10-12 Jaguars. Some were very good photo ops, some poor photo ops, some just glimpsed.

There are several lodges in the area and it is a popular place to visit for folks hoping to see Jaguars, so much like Yellowstone National Park, a crowd can gather when some significant wildlife is seen, but instead of car jams to see a Grizzly such as Yellowstone, this can be boat jams for a jaguar. I have seen as many as 22 boats, 70-100 feet off shore with lots of people in each boat taking photos of a sleeping Jaguar. BUT…that is not the end of the story! We were often in more remote areas of the rivers and inlets and streams more or less on our own looking for birds, etc., so lots of times there are no other boats around. The boat drivers all have radios, so if a Jaguar is seen, other boats are informed. We move 20-25 miles up and down the river to explore, so many times other boats are not close enough to arrive while a Jaguar is in view.

My limited Jaguar experience is that some are just sleeping and/or resting and mostly ignore the boats in the river. Others are walking though the edge of the forest near the river and when a boat becomes visible, the animal just vanishes back into the forest. This morning at about 7:30 AM our three boats were in an out-of-the way location, a mile or so apart. The boat I was in was photographing a Great Black Hawk when one of our other boats called us on the radio to say they had a Jaguar swimming in the river, apparently hunting, so we headed to that area. Apparently the Jaguar, with just its head visible, swam up to loafing Yacare Caimans and pounced onto a caiman which was about 6 or so feet long. The Jaguar and the caiman thrashed in the water with the Jaguar biting into the skull of the caiman. That is about the time our boat arrived, after the Jaguar had mostly subdued the caiman, but the caiman was still thrashing about. The Jaguar was up against a high dirt bank, still mostly in the water with a firm grip on the skull of the caiman and the Jaguar was not letting go. It was very dark and under heavy foliage and vines so I was shooting at 4000 and 6400 ISO but that was my only choice. Eventually the Jaguar was able to work itself and its prize away from the vines and it drug the caiman out of the water and up the dirt bank and eventually back into the forest to enjoy its catch beyond the curious and amazed eyes of the human observers. The caiman was as large or larger than the Jaguar. All I have to say is that a mature Jaguar is an incredibly powerful predator and watching this whole 15 minute episode is something I’ll not forget. What a beast!

This entire series was shot from a boat, perhaps 40 feet off the bank with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II and a Canon 100-400 IS lens in case anyone is interested.

Cuiaba River,
near Porto Jofre,
Pantanal,
Brazil
16 August 2017

A family of San Joaquin Kit foxes including an adult male and female with 6 pups was seen on 2 consecutive days. A photo is of a pup with a Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dendroica coronata.
Also photos of the adults, pups and a den.

Say Hello to 'Bubba.' This magnificent, adult, male Mohave ground squirrel (MGS; Xerospermophilus mohavensis) was captured and released near Coso Junction, California, on June 6, 2019. It was a bit late in the year to capture an adult MGS, especially one so obviously well fed, above ground. That is because this species not only hibernates through the winter months, but it estivates through the hottest months of the summer; they hibernate or estivate for ~7 months of the year. Sadly, because of the pandemic, I could not return to my field site in 2020 and it does not look very promising either for 2021.

Experts - What is going on here? This male American Kestrel sure did seem to have the hots for this female Merlin. He kept trying to get close to her and even brought her a few treats (insects?) from the grass beneath the fence. She accepted the treats but didn't seem thrilled with the attention. However, when he flew off, she followed him...

PLEASE READ FOR ID.
Just killed by Coyote. The coyote was joined by its juvenile pup and then the male. She chased the male away to have the meal to herself and let the juvenile watch.

Edit: Note I saw species in same area three years ago: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/54302918

This is not a gopher snake, contrary to what I IDed it as to start. I thought it was a weird "morph" but due to range; it was the only species that made sense. Zoom in and look closely; it does not have the correct barred markings. ID credit goes to herpetologist Robert Hanson. He also IDs it as female. This is a Sierra Gartersnake - Thamnophis couchii https://californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/t.couchii.html. Though east of its range it is possible that it came here via humans either released after tiring of it or by accident via produce box from the orchards in Tehachapi area or camping gear from someone camping at Brite Lake. It was caught in habitat where it would thrive due to lakes filled with fish and toads and plenty of tall grass, cattails, and other plants for mice and the snake to hide in.

I had been trying and failing to get some pic's of a Stellar's Jay for about 5 minutes in the shade of this same tree and had that "being watched" feeling. He was about 10 feet up the tree and never budged for the 10 minutes I was there

The first time they've been seen outside the den. SEVEN kits and their harried mom, who appears in the background in the first photo. On private property in Northern California.

Needless to say, I have a gazillion more photos, if you need a bigger dose of this cuteness: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVeV8vG

Hmmmm, maybe if I turn my head to the left I can figure out who this fella in the 4-runner is. Nope...so I'll turn my head to the right. No luck. Maybe if I shut my eyes? Nope...he is still there. Maybe if I look away....nope, no good. He is still there! Make him go awaaaay!
juvenile Burrowing Owl in Midland, Texas on a gray and dark early morning, August 11, 2018.

Carnavron, Ontario. That day there were three sows (mothers); one with one cub, one with two and one with three! Usually they left the cubs safe on the tree whereas they were trying to get some food and bring it over the cubs. They were often about 5-7 meters from me, yet never exhibited even a slightest sign of any aggression towards me or other people; after all, we were not between them and the cubs. Nevertheless, the sows kept an eye on their cubs at all times and some cubs kept in constant communication with their mothers by uttering sometimes very interesting sounds. Twice, when another bear approached the tree on which the cub was sitting, its mother immediately ran towards the tree and engaged in a short fight with that bear, chasing him away.

White Rock lake, field by Reinhart branch
This is a photostory of a wonderful bobcat encounter. The story starts with the 2nd photo, used a shot from the middle for the top photo.
Photo 2:
Bobcat Butt
This is what I saw when I first spotted this young male bobcat standing in an open field. Very handsome with beautiful ears, bold markings and a cute tushie.
Photo 3:
Jelly Bean Toes
Trotting across the field going about his bobcat business. Showing off the cutest little kitty cat jelly bean toes.
Photo 4:
When The Blue Jay Squawked
A raucous squawk by a blue jay sounding an alarm stopped the bobcat in his tracks. The cat looked in the direction where the jay flew from the ground into a nearby tree.

Photo 5:
Something Has His Attention
When the bobcat crouched by a tree trunk, it seemed like it was watching something.

Photo 6:
Prey is Spotted
I didn't know it at the time but this shot captured a blurry squirrel a fair distance from the bobcat. This is what the cat was watching so intently. I was slowly walking in the direction of the bobcat as I was taking shots. The only warning I had that something was about to happen was that little butt wiggle cats do before they give chase. When I saw that, I picked up my pace and started taking shots as rapidly as I could.

Photo 7:
Mad Dash Across the Field
This took place so high speed all my shots came up very blurry. This one at least shows what was going on. The bobcat ran towards the squirrel. The squirrel sat up, looked at the cat, then took off running. The squirrel did an end run on the cat and put a lot of distance between them. I was a long ways from the action and happy to at least get this one shot. I believe the bobcat is young, not a year old yet and not an experienced hunter. Neither the cat nor the squirrel were aware of the presence of people at this time so there was no interference in the hunt.

Photo 8:
The One That Got Away
The cat gave up the chase at this point and stood looking in the direction of the lost meal. It is hard to tell but I think the squirrel is the blur directly forward a fair ways from the cat. I was with a friend and we stared in surprise as the cat suddenly jumped and climbed up the tree to the right in this shot. We picked up our pace to get around a creek and across the field to that tree in hopes of closer photos. Not running which might scare the cat off, but a fast walk. We were in luck, the cat stayed in the tree.
Photo 9:
Bobcat Up A Tree
When we got closer to the tree, it took awhile to spot the cat. This was my first sight of the bobcat in the tree. It was still unaware of us. He looks relaxed and just enjoying the breeze. After this shot we moved closer until we were about 25 feet from the tree.

Photo 10:
Our Eyes Met
I was about 25 feet from the tree when he spotted me. This was the first time our eyes met. Hard to describe what a thrill that is to look into the eyes of a wild carnivore.

Photo 11:
The Flehmen Response
His mouth is not snarling, it is open to enable him to smell all the scents in the air. I looked it up and this is called the Flehmen Response, many animals do this. They open their mouth partly and pull back the upper lip to where the front teeth show. With nostrils closed usually. This draws scents and pheromones into the Jacobson's organ, also called the Vomeronasal organ. It is located above the roof of the mouth and behind the front teeth. Animals do this when they see something interesting and want to investigate thru scent. So, he did not seem alarmed by our presence, just interested.
Photo 12:
Adorable Pink Nose
I could not help but notice what an adorable little pink nose he had.
Photo 13:
When Your Subject Laughs At You
Naw, he is not laughing at the photographers....that is just a sneeze or something. Right? #igetnorespect
Photo 14:
Little Pink Tongue
Apparently coming back down the tree takes lots of concentration. Check out that adorable pink tongue sticking out.
Photo 15:
To Jump Or Not To Jump?
As the bobcat came down the tree, he paused when he reached this fork. It looked as though he was considering if he should jump from there. In the end, he decided to go lower before jumping to the ground.
Photo 16:
The Jump
Got this one shot of the bobcat in mid jump. Not down to the ground but just to a lower limb. Surprised I got anything at all, it happened in the blink of a eye.
Photo 17:
Final Descent
Last shot I have while the bobcat is still in the tree. He leaped from this point down to the ground right in front of me.

Photo 18:
You Are Too Close
When the bobcat hit the ground, it was on the side of the tree right in front of me. It had not been paying much attention to me or my friend until that point. I was about 25 feet from the cat. His body language let me know that was too close. His eyes narrowed a bit, his back arched a little, his ears went back. He backed his butt up against the tree trunk, lifted his tail and started spraying. I took this shot then slowly took a few steps backwards.
Photo 19:
Sending A Message
As I backed away, he seemed to relax a little. His ears came forward and his eyes were less narrowed and his back not as arched. He is still marking his territory while looking me dead in the eyes. A clear message. Right after this shot he seemed to decide I was not a threat. He leisurely strolled away from the tree.
Photo 20:
Relaxed Once Again
This shot shows that the bobcat was relaxed once I had backed up. He turned and left the tree, heading across the field in the direction of the road. Once again he had his mouth open, scenting the air. We walked with him, staying at his comfort distance. We could finally get some shots without branches in the way. He was in no particular hurry.
Photo 21:
Trotting Across The Field
The bobcat trotted across the open field towards the road as my friend & I paralleled his path. He was relaxed & slow enough at first for us to keep pace.
Photo 22:
Bobcat Portrait
I took this while the bobcat was trotting across the open field. Had to keep at least one portrait shot of such a beautiful wildcat.
Photo 23:
Paused To Look At Tracey
He paused for a second to look at Tracey who was behind me and to my left. He does not look alarmed, just curious.
Photo 24:
Now Looking At Me
Next he turned his head to look directly at me. And opened his mouth to take in the scent more deeply. Then he went back to his trot but picked up the pace a little and we began to lose ground.
(this is also the same photo I used for the top shot for this observation)
Photo 25:
Right Before The Mad Dash
Right before reaching the road, the bobcat looked back one more time as though to check on our location before he made a mad dash across the road. We had fallen behind by this point. One last thrill of looking straight into the wildcat's eyes.
Photo 26:
Running For The Road
After one last look at us, the bobcat turned and started running towards the road. With his speed we were a good distance behind. At that point I was not aware of why there was such a rush after him being so leisurely.
Photo 27:
Reaching The Bridge
He put on even more speed as he reached the bridge. I lifted my head long enough to look at the road and suddenly realized why he was going so fast. There were several bikers approaching from both directions. I was not sure if the cat would make it across without a collision.
Photo 28:
Mad Dash Across
The cat never hesitated and made a mad dash across the road with several people on bikes in both directions right outside the frame of this shot.
Photo 29:
Startled Biker
This was my last shot and it shows you how close the nearest biker was. The bobcat ran into the shrubbery you can see in the background. I didn't get a shot of that because at this point, I was concerned for the bikers and a bit worried one of them might wipe out after being startled by the bobcat running out in front of them. The guy you see here did swerve a little bit but kept going and no one stopped. If it had been me, I think I would probably have fallen off my bike. When looking at my camera's timestamps later, this bobcat encounter lasted 10 minutes. One of the most thrilling wildlife experiences I've ever had.

Female and 4 kittens. I've seen bobcats previously on my property, but on this day I had time to snap a few photos before they headed up into the rock formations in the woods where their den was located.

Spotted at Caspers wilderness Park on 7/4/21 on a mountain bike ride. The coyote was standing at attention and I was photographing it when the badger crossed interview and the coyote moved off. Presumably this was a symbiotic feeding behavior

Family of four badgers (2 juveniles seen. Absolutely incredible to see. If you choose to find these, please respect their space and use caution. I imagine that these will soon be relocated due to dog walkers and parents fearing for their safety. These photos were taken from over 100 meters away and they did not mind my presence. Please respect these animals and educate others about coexistence with wildlife.

I seem to have a knack for finding Badger's. I nearly stumbled over this fellow will participating in the X-mas bird count at Matador WMA. What was just as surprising was the decent sized Western Coachwhip the badger had found/dug up in late December..