Author: Michael Fuchs Photography

When I was young, one of my favorite places to visit was the Rio Grande Bosque.  It’s a great place to visit year-round, but I especially like it in the fall.  As an adult, the Bosque makes me feel very nostalgic: the smell of the cottonwood trees, the sound of ducks flying overhead, and the warm golden sunlight.

I photographed this little green Pacific Chorus Frog in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains in Central California.  These little frogs are actually quite common with a habitat that spans most of the lower Pacific coast of North America.  It always surprises me when I see or hear them in the winter (even when it is snowing) or at high elevation in the mountains.  They are certainly hardy little animals.

These are Giant Clams that I photographed on the Great Barrier Reef. These Giant Clams live in warm shallow waters in the south pacific. They can grow quite large (several feet), but most of these are less than a foot across. They are filter feeders and are open most of the day. They close very quickly if startled or if a shadow moves over them.

One of the most interesting things about these clams is that each one is a different color and pattern. Some are bright colored, others have intricate patterns, and some are relatively plain.

These are Black Backed Jackal that I photographed in the Serengeti of East Africa. I expected Jackals to be relatively large based on Egyptian depictions of them in art. The first time I saw one of these little guys in the wild I was surprised by how small it was. These particular Black Backed Jackals are a little smaller than a North American coyote. They have an interesting personality, though. Unlike a coyote, they are more confident and actively prowl during the day.

On the unusual occasion that there is a heavy spring rain in Death Valley, it is always a real treat to check on the wildflowers.  I took this photograph of Desert Gold stretching across the valley floor and up to the base of the mountains.

I photographed this wind-swept forest in the Rocky Mountains of New Mexico.

 

Some aerial images tonight.