The Wildlife Around Us

Over the last month we have had this Coyote coming into our back yard for the shade. As long as you are on the tractor or using the mower he just walks pass and takes his spot under the trees for the hottest part of the day.

California Coyote

Another visitor is the the Red Tail Hawk that can be seen in the mornings hunting squrriels around the property

Young Red Tail Hawk

Zanzibar: The Spice Island

Zanzibar

Just off the coast of Tanzania (Dar es Salaam) You will find Zanzibar one of my favorite spots to hang out in. You have the resorts in the North (Nungwi) or you can stay in Stone Town, where ever you end up staying, swap around so you experience both places. You can catch the ferry from Dar es Salaam and enjoy an 1 1/2 ride across, inside with Air/con or outside on a bean bag, once you get there fill out the paper work, stamp the passport and you are in. To fly over it takes around 40 min great views of the islands, when we landed on this occasion they never looked at our Passports.

One of the Resorts Near Nungwi, Zanzibar

If you are going to be going to one of the Resorts in the north of the island you can catch a taxi van just out the front of the ferry terminal ask around, prices can very.
Once there you have beaches, diving, swimming Cold beer and great food, dinning next to the ocean you can look down and see lion fish in the clear water below. When you are tired of doing that GO AND DO a spice tour which I would recommend as this what Zanzibar is know for.

Stone Town

Staying only 10 min from the ferry Terminal at the Safari Lodge the place was clean handy to every thing and they do breakfast, With a Labyrinth of walk/bike ways, Stone Town was a great place to get lost in (in a good way) from the Spice market to the Fish and Meat markets too the Tinga Tinga paintings that can be found down every street.

Streets of Stone Town, Zanzibar

In the evenings you can find locals cooking seafood on the waterfront (try the octopus) cooked as you wait and watch, as you walk along the waterfront you will come across the road tunnel once through, there is a ATM to your left that can be used, take the next street to the right and walk down to the beach and you can find them making boats by hand, taking the street to the left, you will pass Freddy Mercury's birth place and some bigger shops (little park on you right has a ATM in it also) at the end of the street there is Africa House great place to watch the Sunset and have a cold one, check out the smoking room.

Catching a boat next to Mercury's Bar out to one of the local islands (Bawe Island) were you can feed some of the Tortoises they have there, ranging from the young and small to the big and old.

local Boy, Zanzibar

Things to Remember

Ladies look at what the local woman are wearing before you go out in your little shorts and tops it's ok in the resorts but when in the towns cover up a little and you wont get the funny looks.
Carry water.
Enjoy the Local People their culture and the great food. 

Western Fence Lizard

Male Western Fence Lizard

Western Fence Lizard

What ever you like to call these guys, ranging from Western Fence lizard, Pacific Fence or California Fence Lizard they make great subjects to photograph sitting on their tree stump or rock soaking up the the morning sun as the males do their pushups to impress the ladies. You can get quite close to them and over time they don't seem to mine you being around.
       On this particular day he was out sunning himself trying to impress everything that walked passed, after setting up the tripod and camera this little guy seem to get more friendlier and came out for longer periods of time enjoying the spotlight.
       I was using a Canon 7D and Sigma 50 to 500 zoom lens for these shots, photos taken in the morning around 8am, Setting ISO 800 | 500mm | f/14 | 1/400

Male Western Fence Lizard

  Larger photos can be seen at Wildlife Around Us 

Gorillas Of Rwanda

Small Cameras are Great

Swimming in the Clear water's off Zanzibar (fujifilm XP)

Small Cameras are the Best

         Traveling for 6 months in Africa (Self drive and Tour Operator) We wanted a camera that you could carry everywhere, besides your main camera and this is what I came up with, a Fujifilm XP water/shock/dust and freeze proof, great for your pocket, I even carried it in my boot sock. walking around in towns/cities you stand out and scream rob me if you have a big DSLR hanging around your neck (with a group it's safer ) and I have seen this happen on a number of occasions and even warned one guy not to take his camera into town, he came back without it and had only just started his trip.
     With this camera we only used 2G cards just in case it did get taken, so we wouldn't lose to many photos in one hit (cards are cheap)

The Sand Dunes of Sossusviei in the Namibia Desert (fujifilm XP)

Dune 45 in Sossusviei, part of the Namibia Desert was another great reason to have a camera of this type with you. SAND

Namibia / Angola river Float (fijifilm XP)

What ever brand you choose it is a must have camera on any big or small trip, the benefits outweigh the negatives.
Keep it in your pocket, your sock, or down the front of your swimmers
It's better to have something than nothing.

Burrowing Owls of Yuma, Arizona

Burrowing Owls of Yuma Arizona.

On my visits to Yuma, I alway take the time to find the burrowing owls that live close to to were we stay and get some photos, In November the little family group that lived next door were doing fine, but by Christmas they had moved out due to the work that is taking over their living space, after checking out another area close by we found 8 birds happily standing in front of their holes, willing to sign model releases. The only problem with this spot was the light, it would have to be an afternoon shoot ( I prefer the mornings, something about the light at that time) the light was not strong on this day due to low cloud, as I use a Sigma 50 - 500 light is important as I like to keep my ISO down, 800 or less.(Yes, I could go higher) On the Canon 7D you can set a maximum ISO (if you have updated your firmware) I like 800 and then use auto, using shuttler priority mode, this gives me a good working ISO range starting at 100 to 800 and a good shutter speed around 250 depending what type of wildlife I’am shooting,this is not everyone cup of tea just mine.

Burrowing Owls (Athene Cunicularia) 

At this location they don’t seem to mind you been around if you move accordingly, After setting up my tripod and camera I got around 40 min of good -+ light before the sun hit the clouds and it was over. If you can’t take photos, hang around and watching these little guys can also be just as rewarding and give you ideas for the next time and there will be a next time.

Gear: Canon 7D sigma 50-500 and a tripod is a must.

Morning

Afternoon

Getting ready for 2013

THE WILDLIFE AROUND US:

      The time has come for me to start a blog of sorts in the new year, never had one before so it's all new ground to be covered. Covering our travels around the USA and abroad, taking photos of the wildlife people and places that we come across on our travels.

Quiver Tree Forest - Namibia

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU and YOURS
Have a Fun and Save New Years