Category: CHRISTIAN SPERKA PHOTOGRAPHY

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Special Presentation – Week 1 – King Vulture

While reviewing my picture library I came across this beautiful portrait of a King Vulture. I thought many of you might like it.

[Do not forget to vote for the picture of the year 2011 :-) ]

[and I hope you will be able to come this Saturday to the Gallery Crawl in Nashville]

More about King Vultures:

The King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa) lives predominantly in tropical lowland forests stretching from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. Large and predominantly white, the King Vulture has gray to black ruff, flight, and tail feathers. The head and neck are bald, with the skin color varying, including yellow, orange, blue, purple, and red.

The King Vulture has a very noticeable yellow fleshy caruncle on its beak. This vulture is a scavenger and it often makes the initial cut into a fresh carcass. It also displaces smaller New World vulture species from a carcass. King Vultures have been known to live for up to 30 years in captivity.

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Invitation – Animal Art Photography @ First Saturday Gallery Crawl

When: Saturday, January 7, 2012 from 6p.m. to 9p.m.
Where: Christian Sperka Photography / Animal Art Photography Gallery at the Arcade [Downtown Nashville in the block between Church and Union Streets and 4th and 5th Avenues]

The New 2012 Series

I will be showing a new picture collection of images not published in print ever before.

They are available  as various size art prints at the gallery.

I am looking forward to seeing you at on Saturday.

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Picture of the Week 1 – Sly!

The first picture of the week for 2012 is of a Red Fox at the Natur- und Tierpark Goldau (a beautiful zoo in Switzerland displaying  many indigenous species – http://www.tierpark.ch/english/index.htm)

[and do not forget to vote for the picture of the year 2011 🙂 ]

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About Red Fox:

The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora. It is distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America and the steppes of Asia.

Despite its name, the species often produces individuals with abnormal colourings, including albinos and melanists.

The species has a long history of association with humans, having been extensively hunted as a pest and furbearer for centuries, as well as being prominently represented in human folklore and mythology. Because of its widespread distribution and large population, the Red Fox is one of the most important furbearing animals harvested for the fur trade.

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Frosty, Foggy, Freezing

I have just returned from a short trip to Germany and Switzerland. The weather over Christmas was not great, but on my last day I took this image in Switzerland.

I like the ambiance of this foggy, frosty and freezing scenery.

Once I have had time to edit  all the pictures from this trip I will upload the few pictures I took at the Zurich Zoo, the Basel Zoo and the Tierpark Goldau. In Zurich and Goldau I spent most of my visit in the fog 🙂

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Vote for your Picture of the Year 2011 and win an Art Print

PLEASE VOTE FOR THE PICTURE OF THE YEAR 2011 by sending an email to INFO@SPERKA.COM. Thanks you.

Select from  http://www.sperka.biz/potw2011.

Same procedure as last year 🙂 Please select your Picture of the Year 2011 from all my Pictures of the Week in 2011. You can review the pictures at http://www.sperka.biz/potw2011. Then either send me an email, a blog message or a facebook message with your choice of image.  The voting process is open until the end 20th of January 2012.

On January 21 I will draw two winners from the group of people who voted for the winner image (with the most votes). I will also draw one winner from all people who voted regardless for which image. All three winners will get one Christian Sperka Art Print (11″x14″) with an image of their choice for free.

So, PLEASE VOTE FOR THE PICTURE OF THE YEAR 2011 by sending an email to INFO@SPERKA.COM. Thanks you.

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Picture of the Week 52 – Walking the tight-rope!

This week’s picture of a male Bateleur was taken at Phinda Private Game Reserve, Kwazulu Natal South Africa.

To review all 2011 pictures of the week go to www.sperka.biz/potw2011/slideshow

About Bateleur …

The Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) is a medium-sized eagle. It is a common resident species of the open savanna country in Sub-Saharan Africa. Bateleurs pair for life, and will use the same nest for a number of years. Unpaired birds, presumably from a previous clutch, will sometimes help at the nest. The Bateleur is a colourful species with a very short tail which makes it unmistakable in flight. Immature birds are brown with white dappling. The prey of this raptor is mostly birds and also small mammals; it also takes carrion. “Bateleur” is French for “tight-rope walker”. This name describes the bird’s characteristic habit of tipping the ends of its wings when flying, as if catching its balance.

For more Bateleur pictures go to www.sperka.biz/bateleur

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2012

Ke$ha (one of Nashville Zoo’s Tamanduas) and I wish you

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2012
 Frohe Weihnachten und ein Gutes Neues Jahr 2012
  Geseënde Kersfees en ‘n ​​Voorspoedige Nuwe Jaar 2012
   Ngikufisela uKhisimusi oMuhle noNyaka oMusha oNempumelelo
    Feliz Navidad y un Feliz Año Nuevo 2012
     圣诞快乐，新年快乐2012年
     Joyeux Noël et une Bonne Année 2012
    Schöni Wienachte und en guete Rutsch is neue Johr
   Buon Natale e un Felice Anno Nuovo 2012
  Cras et sem a Kalendis MMXII
 Wesołych Świąt i Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku 2012
 Bonan Kristnaskon kaj feliĉan novan jaron

Try to identify the languages for these Holiday greeting – scroll down to see the answer.

I got this colorful, hand-made Christmas card from a Nashville Zoo fan in Argentina.
He incorporated 20 of Nashville Zoo’s species into the picture (Rhinoceros Hornbill, Caribbean Flamingo, Red Panda, White-cheeked Gibbon, Bengal Tiger, Ostrich, Cougar, Damara Zebra, Eland, Masai Giraffe, Baird’s Tapir, African Elephant, Giant Anteater, Red-tailed Monkey, Eurasian Lynx, Rhinoceros Iguana, Tuco Toucan, Ringd-tailed Lemur, American Alligator and Clouded Leopard). Well done and thank you Flavio!

And here are the languages from the Holiday message: English, German, Afrikaans, Zulu, Spanish, Chinese, French, Swiss-German, Spanish, Latin, Polish and Esperanto.

I will be in Germany and Switzerland from December 21 to December 29. All the best – Christian

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Pictures of the Week 51 – I love bamboo :-)

This weeks’ picture is of a female Red Panda at Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

To review all 2011 pictures of the week go to http://www.sperka.biz/potw2011/slideshow

More Red Panda pictures at www.sperka.biz/redpanda

About Red Panda

The Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It is the only species of the genus Ailurus. Slightly larger than a domestic cat, it has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs. It feeds mainly on bamboo, but is omnivorous and may also eat eggs, birds, insects, and small mammals. It is a solitary animal, mainly active from dusk to dawn.

The taxonomic classification of the red panda has been controversial since it was discovered. French zoologist Frédéric Cuvier initially described the Red Panda in 1825, and classified it as a close relative of the Raccoon (Procyonidae). At various times it has been placed in Procyonidae, Ursidae (Bears), with Ailuropoda (Giant Panda) and in its own family, Ailuridae.

Recent molecular-systematic DNA research also places the red panda into its own family Ailuridae, which is in turn part of the broad superfamily Musteloidea that also includes skunk, raccoon, and weasel families.

Red Pandas are not related to Giant Pandas, as the name would suggest, but they both love bamboo. The Red Panda picture was taken at Nashville Zoo and the Giant Panda at Zoo Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

This weeks selection for the “Picture of the Week” was made by a 7th grade World Geography class at Sunset Middle School in Williamson County, TN. Thanks for your interest in wildlife photography and conservation.

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Picture of the Week 50 – Bloodshot!

This weeks picture if of a Cape Buffalo Bull.  The picture was taken at Phinda Private Game Reserve, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa.

To review all 2011 pictures of the week go to http://www.sperka.biz/potw2011/slideshow

And this is my EYES series version of the image in black&white:

For more Cape Buffalo pictures go to http://www.sperka.biz/buffalo

About Cape Buffalo:

The Cape Buffalo, Affalo, Nyati, Mbogo or African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a large African bovine. It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo. Owing to its unpredictable nature which makes it highly dangerous to humans, it has not been domesticated, unlike its Asian counterpart, the domestic Asian water buffalo.

The Buffalo is a very robust species. Its shoulder height can range from 1 to 1.7 m (3.3 to 5.6 ft) and its head-and-body length can range from 1.7 to 3.4 m (5.6 to 11 ft). Buffalo weigh up to 910 kg (2,000 lb), with males, normally larger than females.

Buffalo have few predators and are capable of defending themselves against (and killing) lions. Lions do kill and eat buffalo regularly, but it typically takes multiple lions to bring down a single adult buffalo.

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