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Flamingos in Flight, Atacama Desert, Chile
The Atacama Desert is the driest nonpolar desert in the world but it is not entirely lifeless. Although the desert's extreme aridity means that only a few specially adapted mammal species live in the Atacama, such as Darwin's leaf-eared mouse, some larger animals, such as guanacos and vicuñas, graze in areas where grass grows, mainly because it is seasonally irrigated by melted snow. And high up on the salt flats, close to the borders of Bolivia and Argentina, is Los Flamencos Natural Reserve and there you can see lots of Andean Flamingos. I managed to catch a flock of them in flight against the backdrop of some of the many Atacama volcanoes.
Cormorant Fish Market, Cartegena, Columbia
The historic and picturesque old town of Cartegena sits on the north (Carribbean) coast of Columbia. Its fish market is an absolute magnet for the local cormorants, who perch on top of the stalls, rooves and electrical cables waiting for the opportunity to steal some lunch. It’s like a scene from Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’. I like the translucence of the cormorant’s wings, caught in the fierce sunlight as it takes off.
Preying Mantis, Daintree, Queensland, Australia
At around 1,200 square kilometres, the Daintree is a part of the largest contiguous area of tropical rainforest in Australia and probabaly the oldest in the world. At around 180 million years old, these ancient, self-sustaining forests are nearly 10 million years older than the Amazon of South America, and have witnessed dinosaurs, ice ages, and early humans all come and go.
We were having little picnic when this preying mantis hopped onto the table, totally unconcerned about our presence and allowing me to get this close up.
We were having little picnic when this preying mantis hopped onto the table, totally unconcerned about our presence and allowing me to get this close up.
Wallaby, Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, Australia
Taking a post prandial walk one evening in the woods behind our lodge at Cradle Mountain, we came across this young wallaby looking for its supper.
Tawny Frogmouth, Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia
I think this is a Tawny Frogmouth bird and not an owl (as I thought it might be). I shot this at a wildlife refuge in Port Douglas.
Cassowary, Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia
Cassowaries are a very old (dinosaur old) species native to the tropical forests of New Guinea, the Moluccas and northeastern Australia. It is the third-tallest and second-heaviest living bird. Cassowaries are very wary of humans, but if provoked, they are capable of inflicting serious, even fatal, injuries. They are known to attack both dogs and people. Staying in a forest tree house in the Atherton Tablelands, we were issued with long sticks to ward off any attacks whilst out walking. Regretfully, we never saw a Cassowery in the wild. This photo was taken at Port Douglas Zoo and I like the primeval stare which made me feel perhaps an encounter in the open wasn’t the experience we wanted.
Cassowary, Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia
Cassowaries are a very old (dinosaur old) species native to the tropical forests of New Guinea, the Moluccas and northeastern Australia. It is the third-tallest and second-heaviest living bird. Cassowaries are very wary of humans, but if provoked, they are capable of inflicting serious, even fatal, injuries. They are known to attack both dogs and people. Staying in a forest tree house in the Atherton Tablelands, we were issued with long sticks to ward off any attacks whilst out walking. Regretfully, we never saw a Cassowery in the wild. This photo was taken at Port Douglas Zoo and I like the primeval stare which made me feel perhaps an encounter in the open wasn’t the experience we wanted.
Koala, Cape Otway, Victoria, Australia
The Cape Otway peninsula sits, picturesque, on the southern coast of Victoria and we went down there one day to see if we could spot wild Koalas - more in hope than expectation. On a very blustery day, I was delighted to capture these images of a Koala up in the tree, looking with bemused interest down at the puny humans below.
Capuchin Monkey, Manuel Antonio National park, Costa Rica
The word "capuchin" derives from the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, who wear brown robes with large hoods. The capuchin is considered to be the most intelligent New World monkey. They seem quite comfortable around humans and I was able to get very close to take a series of photographs.
Capuchin Monkey, Manuel Antonio National park, Costa Rica
The word "capuchin" derives from the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, who wear brown robes with large hoods. The capuchin is considered to be the most intelligent New World monkey. They seem quite comfortable around humans and I was able to get very close to take a series of photographs.
Sleeping Capuchin Monkey, Manuel Antonio National park, Costa
The word "capuchin" derives from the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, who wear brown robes with large hoods. The capuchin is considered to be the most intelligent New World monkey. They seem quite comfortable around humans and I was able to get very close to take a series of photographs. It was a hot day and this adult wasn’t letting anyone interrupt his sleep.
Spider Monkey, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
Geoffroy's spider monkey is a species of spider monkey from Central America. It is one of the largest New World monkeys, often weighing as much as 9 kg (20 lb). Its arms are significantly longer than its legs, and its prehensile tail can support the entire weight of the monkey and is used as an extra limb. Its hands have only a vestigial thumb, but long, strong, hook-like fingers. These adaptations allow the monkey to move by swinging by its arms beneath the tree branches. Its diet consists primarily of ripe fruit and it requires large tracts of forest to survive. As a result of habitat loss, hunting and capture for the pet trade, it is considered to be endangered. Getting good photographs of these creatures as they caper through the upper branches is very challenging but we came across a handful of monkeys one day, in the Osa peninsula, stripping the lower tree branches to piuck and eat their (I assume, delicious) flowers
Squirrel Monkey, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
Like most of their New World monkey relatives, squirrel monkeys are diurnal and arboreal. Unlike other New World monkeys, their tail is not used for climbing but as a kind of "balancing pole" and also as a tool. Their movements in the branches can be very rapid. They live together in multi-male/multi-female groups with up to 500 members. Their small body size makes them susceptible to predators such as snakes and wild cats. They move so quickly, it is diffuclt to photograph them, so I was pleased to have captured this shot.
Spider Monkey, Tortuguero, Costa Rica
Geoffroy's spider monkey is a species of spider monkey from Central America. It is one of the largest New World monkeys, often weighing as much as 9 kg (20 lb). Its arms are significantly longer than its legs, and its prehensile tail can support the entire weight of the monkey and is used as an extra limb. Its hands have only a vestigial thumb, but long, strong, hook-like fingers. These adaptations allow the monkey to move by swinging by its arms beneath the tree branches. Its diet consists primarily of ripe fruit and it requires large tracts of forest to survive. As a result of habitat loss, hunting and capture for the pet trade, it is considered to be endangered. Getting good photographs of these creatures as they caper through the canopy is very challengeing but I was fortunate to get this shot through the trees as the spider monkey searched for food above.
Panties fight, La Paz, Bolivia
I’ve seen many strange things in my life but this one was very unexpected. And, given it was La Paz, Bolivia, in a very unexpected place. Someone had gone to great trouble to dress two small dogs in wooly jackets and then pit them in a tug-of-war over a pair of black panties. Why? I still ask that question today.
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