Zoo-ey #1

Well, I haven't been on my blog for 3 months.  OMG.  I basically used the blog for sewing and I took a hiatus from sewing over the summer.  Don't tell anyone but I've purchased some RTW in the meantime.  So....what have I been doing with my creative juices? Well, Photoshop of course.... I also purchased a new camera -- a digital SLR  Nikon D3200 - it was time... my little Canon point and shoot just wasn't cutting it anymore for my creative desires.  I was a pro for a number of years, owned my own studio, shot more weddings than you can imagine, and loved shooting portraits - i had a real knack for folks and young adults who really disliked their photos being taken - anyway it was fun... then i got burnt out, life happened, and now I'm in a different field.  So, here I am 13 years later with the itch to get back to my creative photography.  So, armed with my new equipment, i set out for Catoctin Wildlife Preserve & Zoo.... it was a hot and steamy summer morning, but let's go to it.  I made it around to some of the zoo, lots of the residents were still sleeping when I went first thing in the morning. But I made my acquaintance with a handful of pals.  Here are my favorite photos of my Catoctin Buddies from my mini adventure.

This is a Patas Monkey, Child

The patas monkey (erythrocebus patas) also known as the Wadi monkey or Hussar monkey, is a ground dwelling monkey distributed over semi-arid areas of West Africa and into East Africa.  It is the only species classified in the genus Erythrocebus

This is an Arctic Wolf pup 

The arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos), also called snow wolf or white wolf, is a subspecies of the gray wolf, a mammal of the family Canidae.  Arctic wolves inhabit the Canadian Arctic, Alaska, and northern parts of Greenland.  They also have white fur and long canine teeth for killing their prey.

Patas Monkey parent

A pair of Barred Owls

The Barred Owl (Strix varia) is a large typical owl native to North America.  Best known as the Hoot Owl for its distinctive call, it goes by many other names, including Eight Hooter, Rain Owl, Wood Owl, and Striped Owl.

Ostrich - this one looked young.

The ostrich (Struthio Camelus) shares the order Struthioniformes with the kiwis, emus, rheas, and cassowaries.  It is distinctive in its appearance, with a long neck and legs, and can run at up to 70 km/h (43 mph), the fastest land speed of any bird.  The ostrich is the largest living species of bird and lays the largest eggs of any living bird. (Extinct elephant birds of Madagascar and the Giant Moa of New Zealand laid larger eggs).

Iberian Lynx

I believe this is an Iberian Lynx.  If not, here are some facts about the Iberian Lynx anyway...  (Lynx pardinus) is a critically endangered species of felid native to the Iberian Peninsula in Southern Europe.  A rabbit specialist, the Iberian lynx is unable to significantly alter its diet and, as a result, its population declined sharply when its main prey was decimated by two diseases in the 20th century.  It was also affected by the loss of scrubland, its major habitat, to human development.  It is now one of the most endangered cat species in the world.  According to the conservation group SOS Lynx, if the Iberian lynx died out, it would be the first feline species to become extinct since prehistoric times.  Captive breeding and reintroduction programs have boosted their numbers.  As of 2013, Andalucia has a population of 309 living in the wild.

I beleive this is a Clouded Sulphur  Butterfly

These were all dancing merrily about the butterfly bushes in front of the Zoo.

This is your basic American Alligator

(alligator mississippiens) is a species in which the males measure 3.4 m (11 ft) to 4.6 m (15 ft) in length, and can weigh 453 kg (1,000 lb.).  Females are smaller measuring around 3 m (9.8 ft).  The American Alligator inhabits freshwater wetlands, such as marshes and cypress swamps from Texas to North Carolina.  Alligators also play important roles in wetland ecosystems through the creation of "alligator holes" which provide wetter or drier habitats for other organisms.

I believe this is also a White Wolf. Adult.

Last but not least....

I couldn't find the species of these butterflies, however I thought this was an interesting capture of them mating.

That sums up my favorite photos from my photo adventure at Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo.  I will be visiting again, as there were more animals, just not all awake, and they also have Wildlife Safari Rides that I would like to go on.  I have some vacation days coming up and will make this trip on one of those days.

I hope you enjoyed these photos, I'll have another post soon of my National Zoo adventure.

Cheers!

JDol