My Favorite Critter Photos Of 2024

This year I really did not make many photos of critters like I have in years past. I had other things taking my attention. One thing that came out of it though was when I was out making wildlife photos I was excited to do so. In the past I started to feel like I was just doing the same thing over and over. I felt like I was punching a clock going out to make them. This year when I went out I was really excited to do so. Here are my favorite wildlife photos from this past year.

Every year I love to get out to the Wabash to watch the eagles. They don’t always come your way, but if the wind and the light is right you can make some fun photos. Here an eagle starts to bank after making a good catch.

This photo had multiple layers of luck attached to it. To start off I was not at the Celery Bog much this year. The odds that the pelicans would be there when I was were very slim. Then this pelican that was somewhat close to me which was lucky. It grabbed a catfish and tried to swallow it, but it wouldn’t go down easily. It had to try several times which gave me multiple options for a photo. I liked this one the best.

This year I didn’t have the backyard bird portrait studio open very much. I don’t know why. On this day though this wren was hanging around long enough for me to make a few photos of it. It even found a great perch with a nice clean background.

This duck was one that I kept seeing on the Wabash last winter. It was not a normal duck, but maybe an albino mallard. I still don’t know what I saw, but it definitely stood out from the crowd.

My favorite warbler is the palm warbler. Here I was lucky enough to capture one in a blooming dogwood at the Celery Bog. I didn’t see many warblers this past year, but I am glad that I saw this one.

I went out to Prophetstown this summer looking for a dickcissel. They can be tricky to find as well as photograph. This one though was calling from a very thorny tree which made for a fun photo. This seemed way easier than it should have been.

Sometimes the eagles can get too close to you. Here that happens, but it works out to show some detail. I wasn’t able to get the whole bird in the frame, but I really like how this photo turned out.

Every year at the Celery Bog begins and ends with a photo of Ruby. It is a tradition that I plan on keeping going for a while. Here is the first and last photo of Ruby that I made in 2024.

This list is much shorter than it has been in past years. I am really happy with each photo on it though. This year I need to get out a little more and make a few more wildlife photos than I did this year. I really enjoy making them, and I need to make more time to do so.