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It was an absolute delight to head back to Iceland in March for what is always one of Europe's most exciting wilderness adventures. Situated in the north-west of Iceland, Hornstrandir Nature Reserve is an uninhabited peninsula, a wild landscape which supports one of the islands best-protected ecosystems. All the wildlife her is protected and as such it is one of the best places to see the Arctic fox - Iceland's only native land mammal. Staying at the charming historic property, Kviar Lodge, we had a few days to revel in the winter wonderland, wild weather and some close encounters with the resident wildlife. I had the best sightings and photographic opportunities with the exquisite harlequin duck, as well as the main focus - the Arctic fox. I hope you enjoy the images and perhaps inspire you to visit this magical part of the world for yourself.   As you can see, using the snow in the foreground enabled me to capture this stunning portrait as the male Harlequin preened on a small rock. The bird was completely relaxed in my presence and just carried on, unperturbed. Now to the foxes.   After having some incredible opportunities photographing the foxes on the beach, where they were busy searching for food on the foreshore, we enjoyed some magical moments on the snow fields at the base of the surrounding mountains.       There is plenty of space for Wildlife Worldwide's departures in 2027 and 2028 (which I will be leading), so if you are interested, be sure to book your place today.
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I normally lead photography tours for Wildlife Worldwide, but every now and then I am asked to lead a more generic natural history tour. In January, I was asked to step in and lead a trip to Thailand, in search of the country's rare mammals and birds. I hadn't ever been to Thailand before, but with an intimate knowledge of India's forests and wildlife (with which there is quite a crossover), I was more than happy to step up. There were two main areas we focussed on, one was Kaeng Krachan National Park, while the second was Khao Yai National Park (to the north of Bangkok). We spent the majority of our time in Kaeng Krachan and it was here we were treated to some excellent views of some fascinating wildlife. There were loads of dusky langurs, which regularly posed and put on quite a show for my group. It is worth saying, that as this wasn't a photo tour, I was only grabbing the quick opportunity to photograph as and when it was viable.   One of the main focuses of being in this area was for a number of habituated sun bears (the world's smallest species of bear) alongside a black leopard which is seen with surprising regularity. Unfortunately, we just missed the black leopard, but we did get excellent views of a number of sun bears.    Kaeng Krachan is home to a wealth of other wildlife, including mammals such as the magical lar gibbon, lesser mouse deer and black giant squirrel, while birds included oriental pied hornbill, khalij pheasant and blue-throated barbet.        After a fabulous week enjoying the forests of Kaeng Krachan, we headed north to Khao Yai National Park for another few days of wildlife watching. This is a very different park, with a well-maintained road network, lots of paths and other infrastructure. However, it gave us an opportunity to see a wealth of new species, alongside some familiar ones. One of the standout mammal species here is undoubtedly the pileated gibbon, while on the bird front the red-headed trogon is simply stunning. There was so much more here, including good views of Asian elephant and plenty of other mammals, a kaleidoscope of birds and some stunning reptiles too!  We were blown away when we found a family of gibbons comprising both pileated and lar gibbon species. What made this sighting truly special was that the female of the group had a newborn youngster - this was one of only two known hybrids in the wild. What an absolute privilege.       As you can see, during the trip we enjoyed some exceptional views of some remarkable wildlife. We didn't manage to see everything on the list, but undoubtedly, we saw an incredible array of different species.
I was only leading the trip to cover for someone else (with personal issues), so I won't be leading it again, but if you are interested in joining this trip later in 2026 or in 2027, then please take a look at the Wildlife Worldwide website for more information. December marked the month when I headed back to Australia, specifically to Victoria and Tasmania in search of some of the most sought-after mammals and birds. In fact, we were treated to an incredible couple of week, capturing some stunning images. Having lived in Australia and really kicked off my career with my imagery from that time, it is always a delight to share my passion with others and show them the magical wildlife of the Antipodes. So, as per usual, I'll stop waffling and get on to the imagery.   As you can see, our first couple of days in Victoria were really rewarding and we had some great views of a koala and a family of tawny frogmouths. There was plenty more on offer here, though, with a plethora of other birds such as emu and also purple swamphen.  After a great few days on the mainland, it was time to head south to the stunning wilderness island of Tasmania.   One of the absolute highlights of this trip, is the opportunity to see and photograph the monotremes of Australia. For those of you that aren't sure what a monotreme is, it is an egg-laying mammal. There are only three surviving members of this bizarre, ancient lineage of mammal and Tasmania is home to two of them. The short-beaked echidna (often known as the spiny-anteater) is a an oddity, but the aquatic platypus takes it up another level. We were rewarded with several views of both species, and, as you can see, the photographic rewards were fantastic.     Cradle mountain is always one of the most rewarding locations for photography, with wallabies, wombats, echidnas and the characterful currawongs always providing plenty of opportunity. We also visit the Tasmanian devil breeding centre so the group can see these increasingly rare predators.  We had an absolutely incredible couple of weeks in Australia and with another trip scheduled for February, it was great to be back down under. If you'd like to join me in 2027 or 2028, be sure to book your place with Wildlife Worldwide.
I'm very lucky to head to India most years, leading dedicated photographic safaris to one of the country's hidden gems. Nagarhole National Park, situated within the state of Karnataka does not have the crowds of many of India's national parks. Therefore, sightings can be much more enjoyable and the photographic rewards can be exceptional when everything comes together. This year was another super example. We were spoiled rotten but the dhole (Asiatic wild dog), which made an appearance every single day. We were also blessed with excellent Asian elephant encounters, some stunning birdlife alongside a host of other mammals and even reptiles. So, if you have thought about India, but haven't yet decided on where to go, have a look at some of the images and see if they whet your appetite.     This really is just a taster of the birdlife on offer in the park and the mammal images to follow are the same. There is so much more on offer in this magnificent protected area.    I have hundreds of images of the dhole from this year alone, but this is not typical for this time of year. We made the most of every opportunity though and photographed to our hearts' content.   This tigress was an absolute star, and after a busy start to the sighting, we had her to ourselves at the end. This allowed us to capture some absolutely beautiful imagery of this magnificent big cat.    As well as the iconic, large mammals, we also enjoyed some time photographing the park's smaller residents.   If you want to enjoy encounters and photography opportunities such as this in India, then why not join me on one of my upcoming photo safaris to Nagarhole National Park with Wildlife Worldwide. I look forward to seeing you there.
I was really lucky to be heading off once again to Australia back in February, with a highlight being the trip to the states of Victoria and Tasmania with Wildlife Worldwide. It's always fantastic exploring these magnificent parts of this vast country, searching out some of the most iconic wildlife Australia has on offer. Flying into Melbourne, we had a couple of days around Geelong, where we were able to focus our efforts on a number of different mammals and birds. My group had a great time photographing the emus of Serendip Sanctuary, while we were lucky with a number of other local residents.    After a fabulous few days exploring some of the wonderful places around Geelong, we headed back to Melbourne for our flight across the Bass Strait to Launceston in Tasmania. We had 10-days to explore the magnificent wildlife and landscapes of this incredible island. Lost in time, Tasmania still supports a number of species that are now hard to find on the mainland, while there's also a few endemic birds to enjoy. I hope you enjoy the selection of imagery, it really is a wonderful place and I urge you to discover it for yourself.    As you can see, we struck gold with the two monotreme (egg-laying mammal) species found in Tasmania - the platypus and the short-beaked echidna. Meanwhile, the birdlife was pretty exceptional too.     Australia is rightly famed for its diverse array of marsupials. It is safe to say we were not disappointed with the sightings or photographic opportunities of these iconic mammals.       It's also worth mentioning that the landscapes of Tasmania are pretty exceptional and we were blessed with some amazing weather - particularly up at Cradle Mountain ...  If you'd like to find out more, or join me on one of these photographic tours, please do get in touch. Alternatively, please visit the Wildlife Worldwide website to find out more.
As many of you will know, particularly those that have followed my work for a while, I was privileged to work in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park. Now, I am incredibly lucky to head back each year and lead dedicated photography tours. In 2024, I was able to lead two back-to-back trips, focussing on the incredible wildlife that calls the area home. Rather than waffle on too much, I'll let the pictures do the talking. However, what I will say, is that my groups were treated to some of the best views of leopard cubs I have ever known. Another group also had one of the best African wild dog encounters and photography opportunities.     As you can see, the birdlife is equally as impressive as the iconic mammals, but it was the predators (except for lions) that really put on a show to remember.       There was is always so much more on offer in this magnificent wilderness area.     If you would like to join me in Zambia, why not book your place for 2025 (limited spaces) or 2026. You can find out more on the Wildlife Worldwide website.
Back in October I was delighted to be back in the Pearl of Africa - Uganda. This magical country, so often overlooked by safari goers, really is a superb safari destination and offers a range of incredible wildlife encounters, from gentle giants to big cats and bizarre birds. What more can you ask for? We started off by heading out into Mabamba Swamp, home to the truly weird and wonderful shoebill. This prehistoric bird is losing much of its former habitat as swamps are drained, but here locals run boat safaris in search of this bird and so we set about trying to find it. We couldn't have asked for a better start to our safari.   Ordinarily, our tour combines Kibale, Queen Elizabeth NP & Bwindi, but due to foreign office advice, we would have to bypass QENP, and so, instead we headed up to Murchison Falls NP. This did mean we could add a surprise stop to our trip, one which the guests were unaware - a visit to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. We were treated to the most incredible encounters (on foot) with a herd of white rhino.  We had two full days to enjoy the delights of Murchison Falls NP, including a couple of boat trips. This meant we were able to enjoy the full breadth of what the park has to offer, including some magnificent birdlife, mammals and the falls themselves. We were even treated to another shoebill stork in the papyrus swamps along the shores of Lake Albert.       After a fabulous couple of days enjoying the varied wildlife of Murchison Falls NP, we headed south-west to Kibale Forest NP for our next target species - chimpanzee. We had two treks searching for and photographing the chimps, while also enjoying a walk around the community-led Bigodi Wetlands. It was a primate bonanza with several species of monkey also seen including Ugandan mangabey, red-tailed monkey, black-and-white colobus, vervet monkey and L'Hoest's monkey. Unsurprisingly, our time with the chimpanzees was the highlight of our time here and the accommodation on offer at Primate Lodge is exceptional.     The final focus, and usually the highlight of any trip to Uganda, was the mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Here we were once again treated to two exceptional gorilla encounters, enjoying exceptionally close views of these gentle giants. I actually didn't capture too many images as I had to lend my camera to one of the group (humidity issues) and sat back to allow my group the best photographic opportunities.  As you can see, we were treated to some particularly close approaches by the gorillas and, as always, it was the most remarkable privilege to be in the company of these great apes. There was one more delight in store for us. We were able to visit the pangolin rescue centre in Buhoma and were treated to the most wonderful encounters with a tree-climbing pangolin about to be released back into the wild.   If you would like to join me in Uganda, you can find out more on the Wildlife Worldwide website. I look forward to see you there.
Back at the start of April I was privileged to be on the guiding team for the Wildlife Worldwide Festival of Wildlife to Tanzania. We took over the delightful Ndutu Safari Lodge for a week and enjoyed some absolutely amazing wildlife encounters and accompanying photography opportunities. I was lucky enough to join the pre-tour extension to the Ngorongoro crater, but to keep this blog as concise as I can, I will focus on the photographic highlights in and around Ndutu. It really kicked off with an incredible attempted lion hunt after the most incredible thunder and hail storm. A lioness walked within yards of my vehicle, before eventually trying to hunt a herd of wildebeest, albeit unsuccessfully.   It actually turned out to be a week of lions - we seemed to trip over them in each and every direction we travelled. What was great was that we actually were able to enjoy the lions being relatively active. This isn't typically the case with Africa's largest big cats, and so you have to make the most of these opportunities as and when they present themselves. What makes Ndutu such a fabulous place to base ourselves, was the wildlife that surrounds you while you're in camp. It's not always about the bigger things, sometimes it pays to sit in the comfort of the lodge and wait for the wildlife to come to you.    Of course, the smaller things were followed by some amazing male lions ...    For me, the absolute highlight of the trip was as we watched the sun set over Lake Ndutu. Giraffe were wading across the shallow water, while greater flamingoes sieved the rich waters through their beaks with the golden hues silhouetting them. Suddenly, someone spotted a cheetah and we were off, only for the cheetah to be immediately overshadowed by another shot. 'Caracal!' - I've been working in the safari industry for 14 years and this was my first every sighting of a caracal - just remarkable.  As well as the more obvious mammals, the plethora of birdlife was exceptional and as such the photography was incredible.      We timed our arrival perfectly, as the great migration was still in full swing. Although it's very hard to do it justice (photographically speaking) - unless you're in the air - it was a real privilege to see it out on the great plains.   Of course, to finish things off, we had to have some more lions. In all seriousness, I was blown away by the numbers of lion here. Having travelled a fair bit in eastern Africa, I think this must be among the highest density of lions around.    As I am sure you will agree, it was one heck of a trip. The Festivals are a real celebration of the wildlife, our wonderful clients and the team too. I won't be one of the leaders on the next iteration, but you can find out more about the trip to Falklands & South Georgia here.
I absolutely love being in the Antipodes as the wildlife here is not only unique, but it is utterly captivating, and so it was a delight to head back and spend another couple of weeks searching for and photographing some icons. Just as we did in the previous trip, we started on the mainland of Australia, photographing wildlife in the state of Victoria, before flying across the Bass Strait to Tasmania. Around the city of Geelong, we enjoyed photographing a wealth of wildlife including corellas, emu, eastern grey kangaroo, grey-headed flying fox and koala too.     After a fantastic few days photographing the wild delights of the mainland, including some Australian oddities, we hopped on a plane from Melbourne down to the city of Launceston in Tasmania. From here we headed to the Tasmania arboretum for some great platypus sightings and photography.  We then headed up into the hills and spent the next five days just immersing ourselves in the wild world of Tasmania's rugged mountains. Here photographic highlights included tiger snake, wombat, wallabies and several endemic birds.    We headed back down from Tasmania's Highlands back down towards the coast and stopped once again at the Tasmanian Arboretum. We thought our previous visit was remarkable for the platypus encounters we enjoyed, but this time it was exceptional. The absolute highlight was a pair of platypus fighting after an attempt at mating.    Over the next few days we continued by exploring the north-east of Tasmania, enjoying more wonderful photography opportunities including Forrester's kangaroos.    After a great period photographing in the northern reaches of Tasmania, it was time to head south towards Hobart. We spent an evening in Hobart, primarily as a rest stop, before heading over to Bruny Island the following day. Here, we would be staying close to the Inala property and our hope was to photograph some of the region's iconic birdlife including the forty-spotted pardalote.    As you can see, we had a magical couple of weeks photographing some of Australia's most sought-after species. It was great to be back in the bush and seeing some of my favourite Aussie wildlife.
Where do I begin? Well, firstly I must say that I have been utterly useless in keeping the blog up to date. An awful lot has happened in the past 4-5 months, including moving house to the Scottish Highlands, leadings tours left right and centre and of course, photographing the world's magnificent wildlife. Anyway, enough about that, it is finally time to finish off sharing my imagery from Colombia. Enjoy!  Chami antpitta To start with, I am sharing a few images of the charming Chami and chestnut-naped antpittas. These charming little birds have been habituated above the historic town of Jardin in the western Andes of Colombia. Both birds were the perfect posers and we were able to enjoy some fabulous photography.  Chestnut-naped antpitta  Chestnut-naped antpitta After spending around an hour in the cloud forest photographing these magnificent birds, we descended down to the road which gave us another incredibly special species, the yellow-eared parrot. Here it sat atop of the most magical perch, the only downside was the rogue tendril beneath this beautiful bird.  Yellow-eared parrot We then continued further along the road, spending the morning in the surrounds of a local garden. This lovely garden, perched on a hill-top with spectacular views of the cloud forest above and farmland below, was a haven for countless species. The highlight was undoubtedly having fantastic views of the golden-headed quetzal.  Golden-headed quetzal  Buff-tailed coronet  Golden-fronted redstart As well as exploring above the town of Jardin, we were able to visit the Andean cock-of-the-rock lek situated on the river that runs along the town's edge. It is possible to find up to 20 different males showing off as they try to attract a mate. Making an awful racket, they do their best to show off their magnificent plumage. This really is a spectacle and the photography opportunities are exceptional too.  Andean cock-of-the-rock  Andean cock-of-the-rock  Andean cock-of-the-rock With time nearly running out on this bird photography extravaganza, we had one last day out in the field trying to find yet another endemic species. This time, we were in Parque Nacional Natural Sumapaz and our target bird was the green-bearded helmetcrest. The weather had taken a turn for the worst at this high-altitude paramo habitat, and so we searched for this diminutive species of hummingbird in the freezing rain and strong winds. We really struggled to find any adults in their finest plumage, but were instead spoiled with exceptional views of a pair of fledglings. This was arguably even more special than seeing an adult as these youngsters are rarely seen.  Green-bearded helmetcrest fledglings I hope you have been enjoying this series from the trip I led to Colombia for Wildlife Worldwide? For the third instalment I am taking you higher in the Central Andes in search of some real specialities. We left Manizales and started our climb ever higher up to Nevado del Ruiz - a towering volcano home to a variety on habitats and countless species. Our first stop was the charming hillside property of Hacienda el Bosque. This working cattle farm has committed to protecting its high altitude forest and is actively planting corridors to help wildlife flourish on the property. It is little wonder that the property is a haven for numerous rarely seen species including the flammulated tree-hunter, grey-breasted mountain toucan and hooded mountain tanager. First up though was the equatorial antpitta at a feeding station before we went in search of the spectacular array of hummingbirds.  Equatorial antpitta  Masked flowerpiercer  Flammulated treehunter  Shining sunbeam What an incredible start to our day at the hacienda. In my opinion it only got better as the real stars made their appearance a little later on ... It was time for the grey-breasted mountain toucans and hooded mountain tanagers to put on quite the performance.  Grey-breasted mountain toucan  Grey-breasted mountain toucan  Grey-breasted mountain toucan  Hooded mountain tanager As I am sure you can see, the photography was exceptional thanks to our magnificent subjects. I was blown away by the photography opportunities and the birds were just stunning. From here, we headed further up the mountain in search of higher altitude species including an endemic hummingbird - the buffy helmetcrest. In fact we were also treated to incredible views of tawny antpitta, lacrimose and scarlet-bellied mountain tanagers and rainbow-bearded thornbill. We were incredibly spoilt, but it is important to highlight the amount of time that has to be put in to get the images you are after.  Lacrimose mountain tanager  Scarlet-bellied mountain tanager  Rainbow-bearded thornbill  Tawny antpitta  Buffy helmetcrest I hope you have enjoyed looking through these images and discovering the wonderful birdlife that calls Colombia home. I really can't recommend visiting the Central Andes enough - it is a birder's and photographer's paradise.
Find out more about the trip on the Wildlife Worldwide website and book your place under the expect guidance of Ben Sutcliffe. It has been another action-packed year for me. With the travel sector back in business, I was busier than ever (making up for lost time) leading tours left, right and centre. With such a busy year, I haven't really had time to focus on my own projects, but I was able to capture a few wonderful moments when out in the field with clients. So with that in mind, I thought I would share my 'Top 5' images from the year of 2022. I should add that these are in chronological order and just a small selection of some of personal favourites. In case you haven't yet realised, I really love taking portraits of wildlife.  1. Blue morph Arctic fox in Iceland  2. Wolverine with a severe injury to it's eye, Finland  3. An Arctic fox leaps up a vertical cliff in Svalbard 4. Grey-breasted mountain toucan posing on a branch in Colombia  5. A leopard in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia I would love to know which is your favourite. The wonderful thing about photography is that it is completely subjective. My decision making behind this selection is probably biased, as my memories of each moment are likely to change my perception of the image itself. Anyway, I do hope you enjoy them.
2023 promises to be another busy year and I will do my utmost to keep this blog up to date. In the mean time, I have two more posts to come from my Colombia tour, another focusing on South Luangwa in Zambia and a final one from Australia. Happy reading! I know. It has been a while since I last posted about the wonderful bird photography tour I led to Colombia for Wildlife Worldwide. I left you after photographing the absolutely beautiful toucan barbets of the western Andes. Today I am going to whisk you further north towards the city of Manizales and share with you a kaleidoscope of new colours and forms. Of course, with this being a bird photography tour, if you aren't a fancier of our avian friends, I suggest you wait for my upcoming blog on Zambia's South Luangwa National Park. So to start you off easy, here are a couple of images taken from the Tinamou private reserve. The first was the diminutive golden-collared manakin. This tiny bird was incredibly challenging to photograph and my entire group had to work extremely hard to capture a 'record' shot - it was definitely about trying to capture it in its thick rainforest home. The second bird from here is the striking bar-crested antshrike.  Golden-collared manakin  Bar-crested antshrike After a couple of days exploring the trails and gardens of Tinamou, we headed across Manizales to the protected area of Rio Blanco Reserve. This cloudforest habitats has been set aside as a water catchment area for city below and in turn provides a refuge for numerous sought-after bird species. It is particularly well known for several species of antpitta - the most photogenic of these was undoubtedly the chestnut-crowned antpitta which was a perfect poser. The whole group were treated to some exceptional photography opportunities from only yards away. After a morning with the antpittas we spent a prolonged period around the garden feeders, which attracted numerous hummingbirds such as buff-tailed coronet (the most common visitor) and the star bird which was the long-tailed sylph, alongside a number of other passerines.  Chestnut-crowned antpitta  Buff-tailed coronet  Long-tailed sylph As we descended down the mountain back towards the city of Manizales, we came across our first roadside hawk of the tour - it posed perfectly as everyone snapped away - providing some wonderful photography opportunities. Further down the steep road, we stopped at a small reservoir's dam and immediately saw the handsome white-capped dipper. Like the roadside hawk, it posed beautifully for a brief moment on the dam wall. As we neared the bottom of the steep-sided mountain and crossed the river, our guide Juan spotted a torrent duck. These birds are notoriously hard to approach and tricky to photograph, but we were in luck as the bird was preoccupied with chasing a pair of white-capped dippers. The male duck was just the perfect subject as it came back and forth, stopping atop of numerous rocks with the lush forest-clad banks behind.  Roadside hawk  White-capped dipper  Torrent duck As I am sure you are starting to appreciate, Colombia is a birder's dream and as a wildlife photographer I think it is equally a rewarding. My group all took such a wide gamut of images, capturing numerous species in flight, feeding and just in their habitat. What more can you ask for?
I will try and bring you the next instalment within the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, you can read my tour report from the trip and find out more information on the Wildlife Worldwide website. It seems like things are slowly returning to normal for those who work in the wildlife travel industry. With things continuing to look up, I was delighted to be at the helm for Wildlife Worldwide's Colombia Bird Photography tour. We flew direct from London to Bogota and then on to the city of Cali across the central Andes in the Cauca Valley. It is important to note that Colombia is home to more birds than other country on Earth and the photography opportunities my group were treated to, were quite simply exceptional. I am going to share some of my images from the trip, spread across a few different instalments. I feel this is the only way to do this amazing country and the spectacular birdlife justice.  Crimson-rumped toucanet  Rufous-tailed hummingbird On our first day, we spent a few days around the lodge's grounds and were blown away by the number of hummingbirds, tanagers, woodpeckers and even toucanets. The next day we moved across the mountain, high above the city of Cali where we hoped to photograph the elusive scaled antpitta and the massively sought-after multi-coloured tanager (see below).  Multi-coloured tanager  Chestnut wood-quail  Scaled antpitta  Golden-naped tanager For our third day of bird photography in the Western Andes we headed to a known spot for toucan barbet. Here we were treated to some more incredible photography and the whole group just lapped it up.  Green honeycreeper  Crimson-rumped toucanet  Toucan barbet  Toucan barbet These stunning birds were all photographed over a period of three days in Colombia's Western Andes. I was using my Canon 1DX II with my Canon 500mm f4 L IS II USM lens.
Keep your eyes peeled for the next instalment and be sure to find out more information about the tour on the Wildlife Worldwide website. N.B. I will not be leading the 2023 departure for this tour as I am away in Brazil, leading for Wildlife Worldwide. Sorry I have been quiet again for the first quarter of the year. It has been a crazy few months and I am only just getting the time to sit back and think about the past 5-6 months. Back in November I was in a state of shock as I was actually able to enjoy leading my first African photo safari in nearly 2 years. Wildlife Worldwide were finally able to run our unique South Luangwa Photo Safari and it was a pleasure to be at the helm for two separate trips. Our first trip was based at one of my regular haunts – Flatdogs Camp – where I had the pleasure of my good friend and guide Bwalya looking after us. We had an exceptional week with Bwalya, although the leopard didn’t quite play ball, and were treated to some excellent encounters with the African wild dogs and countless lions. The second week was based at the delightful Mfuwe Lodge and we had some exquisite sightings of leopard and the wild dogs once more. The rains had started to fall intermittently, but it really didn’t disturb our game drives and huge thanks must go to our excellent guides . One of the great things about South Luangwa is that you never really know what to expect and from one week to the next, you will likely see something completely different. Here is just a taster of what we saw …               If you would like to join me in Zambia's South Luangwa with Wildlife Worldwide, there are still some spaces available. I will be joined by fellow photographer Sean Weekly, and I will be back for more in 2023.
Richmond Park is one of the jewels in the Royal Parks' crown, a wildlife haven in the heart of one of Europe's largest conurbations. Red deer, little owls, badgers and even ring-necked parakeets. I spent numerous weekends journeying up the A3 early to photograph the red deer rut, meeting friends and enjoying the cool autumnal air - the photographic opportunities were excellent.    As you can see, the photographic highlights are not only limited to the red deer that call the park home. Above you can see an image of a jackdaw, arguably one of the UK's most beautiful corvids and a ring-necked parakeet (an introduced species from the Indian subcontinent).   The deer stags are well known for thrashing their antlers in the bracken, and other undergrowth, when they are pumped full of testosterone. In this case, he took it all a little far and then struggled to see where he was going. This individual stag was not one of the dominant males, and he will probably have to wait another year or two to reach his absolute prime.    As you can see from the images above, the red deer often stand proudly as the sun rises over the horizon, seemingly basking in the soft morning light.   It was a great few weeks enjoying the wilder side of London and as long as you avoid the crowds, you can expect to see some spectacular behaviour. Next year, if I get to lead my planned tours (if Covid allows), then I won't be able to photograph this annual spectacle.
I remember seeing the first images of Japan in winter around 10 years ago, but I had no knowledge of the country and very little idea about the wildlife. However, at the start of 2019 I was asked whether I would like to lead Wildlife Worldwide’s inaugural photography tour to the country, during the snowy winter months, focusing on red-crowned cranes, Steller’s sea eagles and of course the much-loved Japanese macaques (or snow monkeys). Firstly, if you decide to visit Japan, I can’t recommend Japan Airlines enough - they were truly exceptional. The majority of Japan’s wildlife is concentrated along the main island’s central spine or on some of the smaller, wilder islands such as Hokkaido. This is where my group spent the majority of their time, on the beautiful snowy island of Hokkaido. We had wonderful sightings of whooper swan and red-crowned cranes during the first couple of days on the island. We had the chance to see a pair of Ural owls in the nearby forests and numerous woodland birds (many of which are recognisable to those from Europe). For me though, the species I was most looking forwards to seeing was the impressive Steller’s sea eagle. Let’s just say I wasn’t going to be disappointed …     We didn't have the best light for our time in Japan, particularly with the cranes - it was either too gloomy or too bright. Fussy photographers are a pain, but it does make such a big difference. It was really gloomy for my time with the swans, so I didn't really get anything worthwhile, but it was lovely just to watch them. After our time in the island's volcanic interior, it was time to head to the coast in search of Steller's and white-tailed eagle.            After heading out in to the see ice to photograph the eagles, we headed south towards a frozen lake for more eagle photography. There was also an opportunity to enjoy the glorious birdlife around a traditional onsen. The highlights here were the Japanese pygmy woodpecker, the Japanese sable (a member of the marten family) and the Blakiston's fish owl (the largest owl in the world).        After an amazing week on the island of Hokkaido, enjoying the snowy conditions and stunning wildlife, it was time to head back to Tokyo. We spent a night in Tokyo before heading into the main island's centre to the city of Nagano. To be more precise we headed to the town of Yamanouchi, the perfect place to base ourselves for photographing the famed 'snow monkeys' or as they should be known, Japanese macaques. Sadly, there was a bit of a heat wave in the mountains and snow was rather lacking for the most part.       So what can I say about Japan. Well, quite simply, it is fantastic. Don't expect to be on your own, there will nearly always be other people about, but it is still somewhere I recommend highly. For the opportunities to see Steller's sea eagles alone it is worth it. Be sure to join on Wildlife Worldwide's Japan's Winter Wildlife photography tour.
It was my final week in Zambia, with my third group from Wildlife Worldwide arriving. It was another fantastic week and we were treated to some remarkable sightings. It was a week of lions, leopards, buffalos, elephants and new-born impala. We were blown away by some incredible game drives, with mating lions, a complete leopard hunt and lions gorging on numerous buffalo carcasses. Once again, I am going to leave you with the images to do the talking. Enjoy!       The first days were all about the big cats, but there was so much more on offer throughout the week ...        As the week progressed it seemed that we had a bit of a leopard fiesta, the sightings increased in the last couple of days and provided some excellent photography opportunities.       If you would like to join me in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park, there are still a few places left in 2021. You can find out more and book your place on the Wildlife Worldwide website, alternatively please contact me for more information.
It was my third week in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park and I was well and truly in the groove. Being in the African bush is where I feel most at home, it has a hold over me like nowhere else. It was now I really felt in tune with my surroundings and really in sync with the wildlife of this remarkable national park. It was my second tour of the season leading for Wildlife Worldwide and it was another delightful group of people. Our local guide was Bwalya, who's love of photography and wildlife was immediately apparent. This week turned out to be the week of leopards and lions. We were blessed with numerous encounters and sightings and rewarded with some fantastic photography opportunities. Once again, rather than going in to too much detail, I will simply let the pictures do the talking.            As you can see from all of the images, my group and I were blessed with some amazing sightings. In fact, for me South Luangwa offers such incredible variety and world-class photography opportunities. These are only a taster of what we were able to enjoy, but I hope it inspires you to join me in 2021 (there are still a few places remaining). You can book your place here.
Back in September I went on a trip for Wildlife Worldwide to Romania’s Danube Delta (for the first time). I had heard great things about Europe’s largest river delta and knew whatever happened, I would experience somewhere completely different to anywhere I had been before. I stayed at the purpose-built property known as Ultimate Frontiera. Specially designed for wildlife photographers , the purpose-built hides are spread across the estate and provide the opportunities to photography a myriad of different species. On my first morning in the hides I was hoping to photograph the pygmy cormorant, an elusive and rarely seen species. I did get a couple of shots of pygmy cormorant, but it was a common kingfisher that proved to be a real delight, posing perfectly in front of the hide only a few metres away. I have tried photographing kingfishers in the UK and never had any luck, whether it be from purpose-built hides or sitting patiently on a river bank. So, finally, to be rewarded with shots like this was a real treat. It wasn’t just kingfishers that proved to be particularly cooperative, we were treated to some great views of little owl, a wide variety of small woodland passerines, squacco heron and great white pelicans. We were even luckier in the fact we got to see a solitary Dalmatian pelican, of which there are fewer than 2,000 left in the world.       It also proved to be a particularly reliable place to photography golden jackal, which are moving further west into Europe each year. It was a great place for anyone with a passion for bird photography, and I can only imagine that during the spring it is full of life. I highly recommend you join Wildlife Worldwide in May to get your very own Romanian bird photography fix. I hope you like the pictures – and don’t forget to head off to Romania and see it for yourself!    |