The Smaller Majority

Galapagos: Marine iguanas

When Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands in 1835, he was a young, probably still a bit immature man, and thus I can forgive him the unflattering description of one of the most amazing reptiles that has ever lived on our planet, which he included in his diary of the voyage of the Beagle. Marine…

Galapagos: The birds

A recent visit to the Galapagos has fulfilled my life-long dream to see one of the most iconic and beautiful natural history destinations in the world. It was as good as I hoped it would be; it was also an exercise in frustration. The abundance of wildlife I encountered there was astounding, and the fact…

Three-striped poison arrow frog

Although this blog is still in its infancy, and I really do not deserve to go on vacation after only a few weeks of running it, I will not be able to update the blog until mid-August. I will try, but chances are slim. Since I will be spending the next 10 days in the…

The other aquatic iguana

In a couple of days I am heading off to the Galapagos Islands, where I hope to be able to see the incredible marine iguanas, the world’s only truly marine lizards. Other lizards enter water occasionally, but aquatic lifestyle is quite rare among these reptiles, and few species live and feed under water. But in…

How to shoot against a black background

I must admit that I have never liked photos taken at night that showed the subject, be it an insect or a person, against a pitch black background. If I am ever in a situation when a full-flash photo at night is the only option, I always try to put some light on the background…

When a bumblebee is not a bumblebee

Yesterday afternoon my wife called me and pointed out a large insect crawling on the lawn. “Look,” she said, “this is the largest bumblebee I have ever seen.” The insect indeed looked like a big bumblebee as it slowly buzzed, trying to take off. But when I looked closely I immediately realized that it was…