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Picture of the Month

March 2012

Hispaniolan Palm Crow

(Corvus palmarum)

Lago Enriquillo National Park

Dominican Republic

During a quick exploratory trip to the Dominican Republic, my mission was to document as many of the endemic species as I could on this remarkable mini-continent. I searched for endangered iguanas in the cactus gardens of the south, and followed the songs of rare cloudforest birds along the Haitan border. Getting pictures of most of the animals was challenging - but shooting crows, it turns out, is dead easy.

I had pestered my guides, Manny and Oly, to help me find all the animals on my "hit list," and this native crow, supposedly rare and hard-to-see, was one bird I really wanted. So I was a bit unprepared when, landing on a desert island in Lago Enriquillo, these birds actually pestered me.

Like all corvids, these crows are smart, curious, and unafraid. Maybe they were used to handouts, but they flew in almost as soon as we landed, checked us out, and then took off for better opportunities elsewhere. I'm glad I took some quick pictures - I never saw them again...

 

 

Nikon D3 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens

 

 

Life, Color, Drama, Reality .... No Digital Manipulation

Kevin Schafer Photography : HOME

Review a previous Picture of the Month:

Nene Goose, 2/2012

Pack Ice, 1/2012

Maleos, 12/2011

Armadillo, 10/2011

Anhinga, 9/2011

Lava Tube, 8/2011

Blurry Cassowary, 7/2011

Mud Maid, 5/2011

Roadkill. 4/2011

Light and Shadow, 3/2001

Aurora, 40 below, 2/2011

Petra, 1/2011

Cassowary Family, 12/2010

Antarctic Storm, 11/2010

Yellow-eyed Penguin, 10/2010

Harebells in Wind, 9/2010

Coy Polar Bear, 8/2010

Bathing Beauty Bear, 7/2010

Maned Sloth, 6/2010

Sarus Cranes, 5/2010

Black-winged Stilts, 4/2010

Macaque/Gibbons, 3/2010

Cormorants, 2/2010

Silky Sifaka, 12/2009

Amazon Dolphin Polo, 11/2009

Yucatan Bats, 10/2009

Gulls and Flies, 8/2009

Callanish Stones, 7/2009

Amazon Dolphins (2), 6/2009

Golden Langur, 5/2009

Island Foxes, 4/2009

Puget Sound, 3/2009

Border Fence, 2/2009

Amazon Islands, 1/2009

King Penguins, 12/2008

Darwin's Fox, 11/2008

Blacktip Shark, 10/2008

Greenland Fisherman. 9/2008

Ladyslipper Orchids, 7/2008

Wild Cassowary, 6/2008

Painted Hands, 5/2008

Zion Park, 4/2008

Marine Otters, 3/2008

Mt. Hood Sunset, 2/2008

Mountain-Biking, 1/2008

Tent Bats, 12/2007

Nunbird, 11/2007

Alaskan Otters, 10/2007

Amazon Dolphin, 8/2007

Madagascar #2, 6/2007

Baja California, 5/2007

Pelicans, 3/2007

Darien Gap, 2/2007

Grey Whale Calf, 1/2007

Galapagos Sea Lion, 12/2006

Rockhoppers, 11/2006

Hummingbird, 10/2006

Madagascar, 9/2006

Whales, 7/2006

Sea Lions, 5/2006

Tiger, 4/2006

Jaguar, 2/2006

South Georgia, 12/2005

New Generation, 11/2005

Childhood, 9/2005

Penguins, 8/2005

Sea Palms, 7/2005

Aster Flower, 6/2005

Siskiyou Mountains, 5/2005

Humpback Whales, 4/2005

Christo GATES , 3/2005

Eucalyptus Leaves, 2/2005

Alaskan Aurora, 1/2005

Nesting Turtle, 12/2004

Autumn Berries, 10/2004

Costa Rica, 3/2004

To contact Kevin Schafer :

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