A view of Half Dome, within Yosemite National Park near Glacier Point. 

http://bhealyphoto.zenfolio.com/

Canon 40D, 100-400 mm zoom

http://bhealyphoto.zenfolio.com/

Killarney National Park in County Kerry, Ireland, contains the largest remnant of ancient oak and yew woodland that once covered much of Ireland.  The Park contains a high diversity of habitats, including lakes, rivers, moorland, mountains, and wetlands.  In addition, the largest wild herd of native red deer inhabits the area.  As a result of these unique characteristics, Killarney National Park was designated a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.  Killarney National Park is considered part of the “Ring of Kerry,” a popular tourist destination in the Ireland’s southwest.   

I took several frames of the Torc Waterfall under dynamic lighting conditions as the clouds rolled overhead.  I waited for just enough light to highlight the backlit leaves, while maintaining the details of the moss and rocks in the foreground.  This is a typical scene within the Park, where the mature overstory shades the ferns and moss below.  Canon 40D, 17-40 mm lens. 

To purchase this or other high-resolution prints, go to  http://bhealyphoto.zenfolio.com/

As a fisheries biologist in the arid Rocky Mountains of the western United States, I often find myself between various conflicting “users” of water.  My home is within the headwaters of the Colorado River Basin, which is the source of water for millions of people, from Colorado all the way to California.  In addition to providing drinking water for households, the Colorado River also supports agriculture, hydroelectric power generation, snowmaking at ski resorts, as well as various forms of tourism vital to local economies such as kayaking, white water rafting, and fly-fishing.  Water is even diverted from the Colorado River basin, across the continental divide through tunnels to large metropolitan areas such as Denver.  Essentially every drop of water is allocated to someone with a legal water right.  

My role is to help balance  traditional water uses with the needs of aquatic ecosystems.  Native fish in the Colorado River such as the humpback chub or Colorado pikeminnow are close to extinction, in large part due to water management by humans.  Large dams and reservoirs constructed to capture snowmelt have drastically altered the aquatic environment.  Declines in water supplies due to increases in the frequency of drought, along with the the growth of human populations in these dry lands have intensified the battles over water.  If projected declines in water supply due to climate change  prove to be accurate, water conservation will become even more critical to avoid the extinction of Colorado River fish, as well for providing clean drinking water.

This photo was taken of East Lake Creek, within the Holy Cross Wilderness Area.  The stream supports one of a few populations of Colorado River cutthroat trout, which is the only native trout species to western Colorado.  To see more photos from the western United States or purchase prints, visit my gallery at http://bhealyphoto.zenfolio.com/.

The African or Cape Buffalo is considered one of the “Big Five” due to its size, strength, and aggression towards hunters and potential wild predators.  The only real predators of adult buffalo are lions, however calves and sick or injured adults may be taken down by hyenas.  Weighing close to a ton, these large and powerful beasts can rally to protect a comrade in the grips of lions, which may result in injuries to the big cats.

This photo was taken of an old bull near the Chobe River in Chobe National Park, Botswana.  Red-billed oxpeckers, shown here, seemed to be constant companions of these animals.  Immediately after this photo was taken, the bull tossed his head and galloped into the brush.

To visit the Brian Healy Photography Gallery:  http://bhealyphoto.zenfolio.com/

Fall in the mountains of Colorado can be a spectacular.  A large draw for many sightseers and tourists is the changing colors of the aspen leaves.  Colors may vary from golds, to yellows, and even some reds and oranges.  All the trees in a single aspen grove can be made up of one single organism covering acres and acres of ground.  The trees are connected through their root system.   

I wanted to share these photos of autumn aspen taken near my home in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.  The colors reach their peak intensity near the end of September here.   

For more fall foliage photography, check out my “Colorado Aspen Gallery” at http://bhealyphoto.zenfolio.com/

I decided to shift focus from African wildlife this week to a species endemic to the Galapagos Archipelago that may be at risk of extinction due to climate change: the Galapagos penguin.  This penguin occurs further north than any other, made possible by cold ocean currents that travel north along the South American coast.

The productivity of the marine environment surrounding the Galapagos Islands is incredible.  Clouds of fish, sea lions, sea turtles, and the white-tipped reef shark are common sights for the snorkeler or scuba diver.  The islands also attract thousands of nesting sea birds that feed on the ocean’s bounty.  The Galapagos penguin’s inquisitive behaviour, their red eyes, and their donkey-like braying call are unforgettable.  Several approached within six feet  of us while snorkeling, and to within arms reach of our inflatable “pangas”, which was too close for my 200 mm lens to focus.  The astonishing abundance of the Island’s marine wildlife is difficult to put into words.

The upwelling of cold ocean currents that draws nutrient-rich water from the depths drives this amazing food chain.  Since the abundance of prey fish depends on these nutrients, disruptions of these currents due to El Nino events also leads to famine for other marine animals, such as the Galapagos penguin.  The penguin’s breeding and survival strategies have likely evolved with disturbances created by occasional El Nino events over thousands of years.   Nevertheless, an increase in the frequency of El Nino is believed to be an effect of climate change, which may result in the extinction of this species.  For example, during particularly strong El Nino events that occured in 1982-83 and 1997-98, a 60% decline in the Galapagos penguin population was observed (Vargas et al. 2007).  Penguin populations have not yet recovered, and more frequent El Nino events like these are projected for the future.  The Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) is listed as Endangered by Birdlife International.

To see more photos, or purchase prints, please visit my gallery at http://bhealyphoto.zenfolio.com/.

To me, one of the most impressive antelopes of southern Africa is the greater kudu.  My first sighting of a bull kudu, was on a hike through the Naukluft Mountains of Namibia.  The large bull got wind of our group and ran at least 100 yards across the rim of the canyon above us before going around a corner and out of sight.  I’ll never forget the site of its lean muscles rippling while it ran powerfully and effortlessly across the rocky ground.

The kudu prefers scrub-woodlands, but can tolerate dry brushy areas with scarce water supplies.   During our recent trip through southern Africa in June, which included visits to Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park, and Naukluft Park, the kudu was most abundant along the Chobe River in Chobe National Park.  There seemed to be a bull lying in the shade of every tree.

To see more photos, or purchase prints, please visit my gallery at http://bhealyphoto.zenfolio.com/.

With its 8-foot wingspan, the martial eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) can take prey species up to the size of a young ostrich or small impala.  However, this magnificent raptor mainly feeds on smaller mammals and birds.  The belief that it is a predator of domestic livestock has led to its persecution and subsequent declines in population in some areas.

We sat in the safari vehicle for several minutes watching this adult bird, while starlings mobbed it.  Mobbing of raptors by smaller birds is a common anti-predator defense tactic.  In fact, I’ve been able to locate and observe many raptors by the pack of noisy birds around it.

Eventually, the eagle flew away as I squeezed off several frames.

To see more photos, or purchase prints, please visit my gallery at http://bhealyphoto.zenfolio.com/.

I’ve always been fascinated with the associations between species.  One of the benefits of traveling through game reserves or parks is that you have the opportunity to observe these interactions and behavior.  Baboons live in large ”troops” of around 30 or 40 individuals, but this group can be much larger.  With so many eyes on the lookout for predators, such as leopards, there is a great benefit for other species like impalas to associate with them.  The baboon has an extremely effective alarm system. 

However, this relationship does come at a cost for the impala.  Their newborn fawns often become the prey of large male baboons.  Nevertheless, the impala is one of the most numerous and widespread antelope species in southern Africa.