We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog...

Okay, so while the Zombie March was the best thing to ever hit my blog's stats, I do realize that most of you are here for the cute, the fuzzy and even the scaly or chlorophyl-filled.  While going through a bunch of old folders and making back-ups of my shots, I realized I'd gone to the Nashville Zoo back in March and never put any of those shots up.

So, here are a few of this blog's more usual denizens.

Let's start with these guys.  How cute are they?  While they look a lot like kangaroos, especially with nothing to use as a size scale, they're actually wallabies.  The little guy there is an albino male and very young.  Well, not like born-yesterday young, he's obviously out of the pouch, but still young enough to stay Very Close to mom at all times.  His dad is albino too - you can see his tail in the bottom of the shot.  I always thought albinism was a recessive trait, so either it's not so much or mom has one gene for "brown wallaby" and one for "albino wallaby" and the baby picked up the recessive from her.  Either way, he's adorable.

Okay, less 'adorable' and more 'awesome'.  Look at that *massive* paw!

And back to adorable.  It's hard to tell with giraffes, again with not having anything to gauge size by, but this is a wee baby giraffe.  Of course when you're born at six feet tall "wee" may never quite apply.  But compared to mom and the rest of the herd, he's very small.

There was a Red-tailed Hawk circling the zoo, but not actually a part of it.  My guess, since he was circling the tiger enclosure, is that he's looking for any scraps the resident population may have left over.

 One of the first things you see when you enter this zoo is this pair of Hyacinth Macaws.  This guy was busy peeling the bark off the tree he was sitting on.  What I love about this shot is that the *side* of his black tongue has a dotted yellow line going all the way down it.  It's like someone painted a street on his tongue!

 I think this camel was trying to blow me a kiss.  Or spit in my face.  Really it could have gone either way.

  Again, with slightly less cute.  But a neat shot.  I really wish I had my tripod for it, because setting up the right f-stop and getting the camera to focus behind the closest element... not easy handheld!

Here's one of his buddies.  There's that famous 'smile'.  Doesn't he look like the cat that got the canary?  Or is that the gator that got the cat???








Okay, tomorrow I've signed up for a work day at Willowbrook Wildlife, so things will go back to normal around here.  Unless it storms like it's supposed to. :(  Well, in that case things will probably still go back to normal, I just won't have shots from Willowbrook.

Chicago Done Naturally (Post 6 of 10) - Brookfield Zoo

Brookfield Zoo

Brookfield is much bigger than Lincoln Park. It’s a pay-admission zoo, and even a pay-to-park zoo, if you’re not a member. However, if you’re big on public transportation, the Metra lets you off just a few blocks from the zoo, so you can avoid the parking fee.

Brookfield is very photo-friendly. They even have a list of shooting suggestions on their website. Obviously, you’ll want your tripod and telephoto/macro lenses if you have them. Being bigger, and admission-based, they tend to have fewer school groups during the day, or at least they’re less concentrated.

It’s unlikely you’ll be able to see the whole of this zoo in one day. So you might want to download a map before you go and make a plan.

Flash photography is allowed in certain indoor exhibits at this zoo. The free-flight area of the perching bird house and the penguin/inca tern habitat are a few places where you don’t have glass separating you from the animals, and you’re allowed to use a flash. Watch for signs – places like Habitat Africa and Australia House have a number of nocturnal animals and flashes are not allowed, at least in certain areas. There’s almost always a keeper or docent within sight and they know the rules, so if in doubt just ask someone in a green shirt. Tripods are allowed and even with the carefully controlled lighting to try and make nocturnal animals interesting during the day, a lot of them are still enough that you can get a good shot without the flash and a long (sometimes really long) shutter.

For example, this hyrax was taken in a very dark environment with an 8 second shutter at f4.5 on a tripod.

To hit:
From Memorial Day to Labor Day there’s a fantastic exhibit, simply called, Butterflies! And it’s exactly what it says on the tin. About 20 species, hundreds of specimens, in free-flight around you in a big net house. The best way to get good shots is to get to the zoo a few minutes before it opens, and go straight to there once they let you in. (It’s just on the left of the North Gate) At that point the butterflies are lying around on rocks and the pathway (watch where you walk and put your tripod!) warming up and they haven’t been annoyed into finding hiding places yet. While they’re still cool from the night, they’re still and their wings are open. Great shooting!

The free-flight area of the bird house is great. There are two huge red McCaws on a perch right next to the observation deck, but the more interesting birds are in the trees. You can use your flash and tripod here and either these birds are fed *often* or I’ve developed a knack for going there when they’re being fed, which brings them down from the higher limbs or denser bushes.

Tropic World: This is three separate environments for the various monkeys and apes of the world. You’re up on walkways, so there’s no glass or bars, but the flipside is, most of the monkeys stay pretty far back in the huge exhibit. Bring your telephoto for good shots. The apes tend to stay a little closer to you. Also, watch the signs – they rotate the hippo and the otters in the middle part, so you may want to come back later to get the other animal.


To miss:
The dolphins have returned to the Seven Seas exhibit, which was recently redone, but they haven’t announced an opening date. Breaking news off Facebook: Dolphin shows are scheduled to resume Memorial Day weekend.

Likewise, for the next little while (until May 8, 2010) the bears are off exhibit as they get used to their new home.