Incoming! An Australian pelican flying in to join the crowd on the beach.

Baby steps.

While huge, golden orb weavers are harmless. I caught this one mid-meal.

A curious little penguin checking us out from the entrance to his burrow. These guys are the smallest penguins in the world, and typically only come out of their burrows at night, so it was a real treat to get to see this one so clearly.

Spirit of the forest.

Possibly the luckiest wildlife encounter I've ever had. I had just stopped at a boardwalk in Daintree Rainforest when this male cassowary and his two chicks popped out of the trees. Talk about right place, right time!

Tall, dark, and handsome.

Babies were everywhere in Australia! This rock wallaby joey came out to play for a bit before hopping back into mom's pouch.

I was very excited to be in Melbourne during flying fox baby season. Watching this mom with her little one was such a special moment.

Arguably one of the cutest animals in Australia.

Despite not being overly colorful, emus are still very striking birds.

Australia has a lot of pretty birds, but crimson rosellas have to be in the top ten.

Baby on board.

Had an absolute dream roadside encounter with this cutie. Echidnas are such cool little dudes!

A story in two parts.

A windblown emu on a cloudy day.

The first animal that comes to mind when most people think of Australia is the kangaroo. I saw so many Eastern grays while I was there!

One of the most iconic Australian animals, koalas are adorable. Places like the Koala Conservation Reserve are educating the public and have implemented breeding programs to help protect this beautiful species.

As winter settles in, I hope this late season red dog is hanging in there.

2025 was good to me. I'm forever grateful for the opportunities I get to spend time with wildlife.

Now that the ponds are frozen over, I hope my beaver friends are cuddled up and cozy in their lodge

Who else misses listening to elk bugling while the sun rises over the mountains?

I love coyotes because they're survivors. No matter what humans have thrown at them, they've managed to adapt and thrive

Throwback to this American kestrel challenging me to a staring contest

It's easy to lose track of time when you're watching wildlife. I spent hours sitting by this pond while the beavers stockpiled food for winter

My favorite wildlife encounters are the unexpected ones. On a morning I thought was too cold for snakes, this guy was basking in the sun on the trail

The ladies don't always love being serenaded. This cow elk was not impressed by the big bull that was chasing her, bugling his heart out

During berry season, it pays to be aware of your surroundings. You never know who might pop out of a bush along the trail!

Baby ptarmigan are just so darn cute!

If you're hiking and feel like you're being watched, you probably are.

Swipe to see the difference between a female and a male white-tailed ptarmigan. Bonus- check out the leg tags on the male! The ptarmigan here in Colorado are closely monitored by researchers.

A raven keeping watch in the fog. Happy Halloween!

The rut can be hard on bull elk. Poor Lumpy lost half of an antler while sparring with another bull.

As short as the vegetation is in the alpine tundra, baby ptarmigan are even shorter.

Up close and personal with a curious pika.

The Great Plains might not seem like ideal habitat for turtles, but ornate box turtles like this guy thrive there. He came into the local wildlife rehabilitation center for treatment, and was successfully released back into the wild.

Behind every beautiful female ptarmigan is a male keeping an eye out for potential competition.

Pygmy owls are incredible hunters, routinely catching prey animals as big as they are.

POV: You are a mouse, about to be a bullsnake's snack. Natural pest control in action.

It's important to always take time for reflection.

This elk calf got to spend their summer in one of the most beautiful places in Colorado. Kinda jealous.

With fresh snowfall on the mountains, I hope my pika friends stocked enough hay to keep themselves fed for the winter.

Big stretch!

Sneeze or scream? Put your guesses in the comments ⬇️

Caught this young pygmy owl hiding his prairie lizard snack from his siblings.

As the days grow colder, I still dream of summer hikes with bees.

Baby ptarmigans are the cutest little balls of fluff.

Hear no evil, speak no evil, but always look it directly in the face.

Rattlesnakes are never as happy to see me as I am to see them.

A beautiful male ptarmigan strikes a pose, showing off the red eyebrow he uses to help attract females.