Eyecatchers

Practice Makes Perfect

Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) pair practising incubating with a snowball. Atka Bay, Antarctica. May. Winner of the Polar Passion Category of the Nature’s Best Photography Competition 2019.

“The sea ice had just frozen over and become solid enough for us to walk on when we made our first attempts to reach the emperor penguin colony at Atka Bay, dragging our very heavy camera equip-ment across the ice sheet. Temperatures were minus 35 degrees, so the entire endeavour was physically quite demanding. Before we reached the main colony, we found two birds acting strangely. The female constantly lifted her brood pouch, revealing to the agi-tated male a white object on her feet – a snowball. Apparently this couple was practicing either the tricky manoeuvre of passing the egg or simply balancing the egg on their feet, using a snowball as a prop. The implications of this behaviour were remarkable - em-perors seem to have the ability to plan ahead and practise for an upcoming event in their life - handling the fragile egg.”

Photographer: Stefan ChristmannImage number: 01619734

Lunge Feeding

Aerial view of Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) lunge-feeding, with throat pouch distended, southern Sea of Cortez (Gulf of Cali-fornia), Baja California, Mexico.

“I was on a whale watching trip in the Sea of Cortez, Baja Califor-nia, Mexico. A dead-calm sea offered fantastic whale-watching opportunities. The fin whales were feeding on plankton, which mi-grates vertically from depths during the day. Only with a drone can you appreciate how enormous their mouths are as they lunge feed at the surface, taking in vast quantities of sea water and plankton, which they then filter out through their baleen plates. Watching from a boat, I could see that something exciting and unusual was going on, but it was not until I launched the drone that I appreciat-ed just how exciting – it was mind blowing!”

Photographer: Mark CarwardineImage number: 01618180

Hangin’ Around

Black and white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata variegata) hang-ing from branch, Vakona island, Andasibe area, Madagascar. Captive.

“This black and white ruffed lemur was photographed in a pri-vate reserve in Madagascar. The lemur is one of many rescued animals that come from the illegal animal trade and are given a “second chance” here. They roam in a forest on a small island, although because of their lack of fear for humans they will not be released into the wild again. This one approached us with-out fear. As the light was already strong I exposed for the white clouds in the sky and added flashlight to illuminate the animal. I looked for a pleasing composition and positioned the camera under the lemur to include the surrounding trees and the sky. To capture all of this I used a wide-angle lens. As they spend their lives up in the trees they are very acrobatic and often hang upside down.”

Photographer: David PattynImage number: 01598755

Princess of Altai

Snow leopard (Uncia uncia) Altai Mountains, Mongolia. March.

“I really love snow leopards and have devoted several years to pho-tographing them in the wild. This photo was taken in Mongolia, in the Altai Mountains. The female snow leopard had caught a large male Siberian ibex and came to his remains for several days in a row to eat. Usually she came at night, but just once - on March 8, International Women’s Day - did she present me with this gift of arriving in the after-noon and allowing me to take her picture. I was very happy, because I had spent five days in a tent at minus 25 degrees waiting for her arrival. I call this picture Princess of Altai.”

Photographer: Valeriy MaleevImage number: 01603337

A Carpet of Bluebells

Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and Beech (Fagus sylvatica) leaves, England, UK, May.

“I have been photographing bluebells for 50 years. Who could resist? Having tired of my usual efforts, I decided to approach the blue mass from beneath some beech trees (which also avoids any trampling). That’s when I saw the possibilities offered by a hanging branch of fresh green leaves and the bluebells beyond. The light was perfect and it was just a case of moving around until I found the composition that worked “

Photographer: Ernie JanesImage number: 01608105

Mangrove Refuge

Lemon shark pup (Negaprion brevirostris) in mangrove forest which acts as a nursery for juveniles of this species. Eleuthera, Bahamas.

“On the tiny island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas, lemon shark pups take refuge in a small creek. The clear, flowing water is lined with mangrove trees, keeping the pups hidden from larg-er sharks. Lemon sharks are the first shark species proven to return to their birthplace in order to breed and give rise to the next generation (a strategy called natal philopatry). Over the last 7 years I have spent hundreds of hours camping out on a beach at the edge of the creek. The area isn’t without its challenges. You can only shoot at high tide and you are constantly battling the sun and the insects. It can take several hours or, sometimes days, for the sharks to be comfortable enough with you before they come close to your camera, so I was delighted when this pup approached me through the mangrove leaves.”

Photographer: Shane GrossImage number: 01617285

The Strength of Family

African elephants (Loxodonta africana) at a waterhole - remote camera. Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya.

“Maasai Mara, Kenya. Early afternoon. A dirt hole. I see a family of elephants heading toward it. In anticipation, I survey the dirt hole, make preparations and wait. The elephant family obliges. It stays for a while as I wait for something special to occur. It happens when a baby inquires with its trunk what its mum is ingesting. The picture has several interpretations, but I like to think that it rep-resents family bonds since elephants are renowned for them.”

Photographer: Anup ShahImage number: 01615676

Double Trouble

Moose (Alces alces) female with twin calves, Baxter State Park, Maine, USA, June.

“Baxter State Park encompasses over 200,000 acres of wilder-ness in northern Maine, United States. It was June, and the warm air buzzed with the sounds of mosquitos, black flies and horseflies. After two hours waiting, and battling this aggressive onslaught, I was thrilled to see a female moose appear from the trees on the opposite side of the lake. She had two young calves in tow, and despite being surrounded by their own cloud of biters they were in a playful mood. The family slowly followed the shoreline, feeding on overhanging vegetation and when the bugs got too much they found respite in deeper water. I remained still and quiet, resisting the urge to bat a mosquito from my hand, as the moose moved closer and closer to where I was standing. I spent two hours watch-ing as they fed, and bathed, before they headed back into the forest.”

Photographer: Paul WilliamsImage number: 01611443

Beautiful Blossoms

Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula) male perched in pear (Pyrus sp.) blossom, eastern redbud in background, New York, USA. May

“Native plants, fruit trees, and various bird feeders make my back-yard in Central New York State a magnet for birds and perfect for bird photography, especially in spring. Many of my favourite imag-es have been made there, including this Baltimore oriole enticed by half an orange to perch amid pear blossoms. An eastern redbud tree in full bloom forms the mauve background.”

Photographer: Marie ReadImage number: 01622815

Mrs Smeathman, 5mm of magic

Smeathman’s furrow bee (Lasioglossum smeathmanellum) feed-ing on Wallflower (Erysimum sp.) Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. April.

“The UK is home to 270 species of bee. One of the smallest is Smeathman’s furrow bee, named after the British entomologist Henry Smeathman. Sponsored by the Royal Society in 1771, he journeyed to Sierra Leone onboard a rum-laden cargo ship called The Fly, finally returning to England years later in 1779. To mark his achievements as an explorer this bee, Lasioglossum smeath-manellum, was named in his honour. I captured this female har-vesting a wallflower on a stone wall behind my home. A number of tiny bee species nest in the walls of our house. Often overlooked due to their size Mrs Smeathman and her minute relatives are important native pollinators and great fun to photograph.”

Photographer: Phil SavoieImage number: 01624975

Playful Pups

Meerkat (Suricata suricatta) two pups, age one month, playing on burrow, Kalahari Desert, Botswana..

“The meerkat or suricate mongoose is widespread in the arid grasslands and deserts of south-west Africa. Meerkats are ex-tremely sociable animals, living in large groups or mobs of up to 50 individuals. Teamwork is important in meerkat society with different animals fulfilling roles as babysitters and sentries for example. Meerkats rear their young in extensive underground bur-row systems and have a very varied diet, which includes beetles, spiders and scorpions.”

Photographer: Klein & HubertImage number: 01605870

Bokeh and Bubbles

Marsh Frog (Pelophylax ridibundus) vocalising with bokeh effect in the background, Danube Delta, Bulgaria

“I was using a floating hide in the Danube wetlands of northern Bulgaria to photograph marsh frogs early one spring morning when the males were vocalising. By shooting into the light, I liked the effect created by the frog’s inflated vocal sacs mirroring the back-ground bokeh created by catch lights on the water surface.”

Photographer: Guy EdwardesImage number: 01617866

Hazy Days of Summer

Marbled white butterfly (Melanargia galathea) resting among tall grasses and bathed in warm, early morning sunlight, Volehouse Moor, Devon, UK. July.

“A wildflower meadow is a magical place to explore during the hazy days of summer. Tall wavy grasses, knapweed, scabious and field thistles combine to create a rich environment for invertebrates. I love to visit with my camera during early morning, when butterflies are waking up and basking in the first rays of light. This photo-graph of a marbled white was taken on one such morning. Marbled whites are on the wing throughout July and love to roost half-way along grass stems. I took this image using a 200mm macro lens, which allowed me to shoot from far enough away not to disturb the butterfly. I resisted the temptation to fill the frame, and instead included a hint of its surroundings in order to convey context.”

Photographer: Ross HoddinottImage number: 01623001

Blue-eyed Baby

Tabby and white kitten, standing on a mossy tree trunk in a mead-ow in summer.

“When kittens are born, their sense of sight is much less well de-veloped than their sense of hearing or smell. All new-born kittens have blue eyes, as they contain no pigment.

Kittens’ visual sense develops with age as they start to explore their surroundings, with the final adult colour appearing between the age of 3 and 6 months.”

Photographer: Klein & HubertImage number: 01605520

Walk Along the Beech

Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) walking along fallen trunk of old Beech (Fagus sylvatica) tree, Coppo del Principe old-growth beech forest in autumn. Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park / Parco Nazi-onale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise UNESCO World Heritage Site Italy. October. Remote camera trap image.

“The oldest beech forests in Europe lie in the Apennine mountains of Italy and were recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2017. I’ve been working for five years to document their unique features, their biodiversity and beauty. It’s not easy to photograph in these mountain forests, as they’re hard to reach and the ani-mals are perfectly concealed behind a curtain of trees. I’ve tried several techniques such as camera traps to capture their elusive wildlife. In this picture a red fox uses a fallen trunk as a shortcut, an image which I hope emphasises the majesty of the centu-ries-old trees and the wildness of these special forests.”

Photographer: Bruno D’AmicisImage number: 01615237

Marsh Sunrise

Sunrise over bog with trees reflected in pool. Endla Nature Reserve, Jogevamaa, Central Estonia.

“Every year I keep a keen eye on how au-tumn will transform into winter. The weath-er forecast for sunrise on the day I took this picture promised sub-zero temperatures, which usually lead to the first ice, so I decided to venture out. At first I was a little disappointed, because the clouds meant that the temperature was not cold enough for any ice, just slightly frozen ground veg-etation. Then I saw this nice reflection and started working on composition. When the sun peeked out to give a finishing touch, I couldn’t have been happier. Nature always has a surprise in her back pocket, and this time it turned out to be a good one!”

Photographer: Sven ZacekImage number: 01615002

Sheep Bells

Blacknosed Valais sheep on alpine meadow in autumn, Switzer-land.

“The black-faced Valais sheep is an ancient breed originating from the Valais region of Switzerland, but now found in many countries of Europe, in North America and New Zealand.

It is a large and attractive mountain breed, well adapted for graz-ing on stony Alpine pastures. Both rams and ewes have character-istic spiral horns and a frizzy coat. The bells worn by Swiss sheep fulfil both a decorative and a practical function. They enable shep-herds to find their flocks in misty weather and alert them when their animals are in danger.”

Photographer: Klein & HubertImage number: 01605738

Dominance Struggle

Mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) blackback, juvenile male demonstrating power. Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda.

“This young mountain gorilla is a blackback, on the way to becom-ing a silverback. From early in the morning, he had been challeng-ing the dominant silverback of the group, much older and bigger than him. The silverback did not respond at first but suddenly, while I was taking this photo of the youngster’s provocations, he emerged and charged the young one. Unfortunately, I couldn’t manage to take an action shot as I had to beat a hasty retreat. Having already had the experience of a silverback charging and passing over me, I decided to give them room…”

Photographer: Christophe CourteauImage number: 01610122

Spot the Seal

Harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) pup on ice, Gulf of St. Law-rence, Canada.

“The harp seal is an Arctic species found in the north Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, with breeding populations in Greenland, Arctic Russia and Canada. The young pups have a pure white coat, which provides camouflage against the sea ice where they are born, while adult harp seals have characteristic darker markings, which earn them the alternative name of saddleback seal.”

Photographer: Klein & HubertImage number: 01605971

Northern Spyhoppers

Killer whales / orcas (Orcinus orca) spyhopping. Kvaloya, Troms, Norway, October.

“I was looking for whales along the coast of Troms in northern Norway when I came across this group of orcas. It was a fami-ly of eight individuals hunting herring on this October day.

After some minutes of intense feeding the orcas started to pop out of the water - there were heads everywhere! Some-times there was only one, but many times they surfaced together in synchrony. They were obviously curious about my boat. It was an amazing sight”

Photographer: Espen BergersenImage number: 01629862

Contact: timaldred@naturepl.com

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