Technically, it was a maternity photo shoot to celebrate Amanda and Phil’s new little one on the way.
But clearly, someone else stole the show.
As part of the shoot, Amanda and Phil asked photographer Kristen Zaffiro to include their horses — they are, after all, part of the family.
What they didn’t expect, however, was that one of the horses would insert himself into the photos so prominently.
But that’s exactly what Buckshot did.
Rather than linger in the background with the others, Buckshot happily sidled up alongside the happy couple as Zaffiro took photos.
“I said, ‘Well you could at least smile’ — AND HE DID!” Zaffiro told The Dodo.
Boy, did he.
From there, things just kind of spiraled.
“When I laughed, he laughed,” Zaffiro said. “So the more I laughed, the more he acted up!”
Did Buckshot’s hamming it up make things a little awkward? Yes.
Mostly, though, it was hilarious.
The maternity shoot had pretty much become all about Buckshot — but nobody seemed to mind. In fact:
“Amanda and Phil loved all the pictures! When I looked through them, I laughed even harder than that day!” Zaffiro said.
If the joy captured in these photos is any indicator of things to come, the growing family’s new arrival has plenty of fun and laughs to look forward to. Buckshot, no doubt, will make sure of that.
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.