Wildlife Photographer of the Year

I went to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition this week at the Natural History Museum.  This annual event features truly inspiring wildlife and animal photography from all over the globe and  makes you absolutely marvel at the natural world and the wonders that exist on this planet. The exhibition is on until March 11 and if you live in London you really have to go and see it.  I scanned in the images from postcards so I apologise for them not being top quality; the first of the sequence below is the overall winner of the competition. Underneath each picture I have copied the informative description that accompanies each of the entries. Enjoy.

A Marvel of Ants by Bence Mate (Hungary). Costa Rica’s leaf cutter ants are the most active at night. Huge columns fan out into the forest, each line terminating at a tree, shrub or bush where each ant then cuts a piece of leaf to carry.

Leg-Work by Bence Mate (Hungary). This was taken from a waterside hide at dawn, in Hungary’s Kiskunsagi National Park. A grey heron that had perched on the hide suddenly swooped down on a great white egret. The legs are the heron’s, the wings the egret’s.

A Carcass-Eye View by Jurgen Ross. Tall and with a deadly kick, adult giraffes have little to fear from predators. But in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, one pride of lions has a shrewd hunting strategy. They chase the giraffes towards a road, where they stumble and fall on the smooth surface.

Snowed In by Orsolya Haarberg (Norway/Hungary). On particularly cold days in Norway’s Dovre-Sunndalsfjella National Park, muskoxen conserve energy by resting. For two days the wind was so strong and it snowed so much the animals were almost obscured.

Dawn Call by Pierre Vernay (France). The roar of a red deer stag carries an unmistakable message: the most powerful the roar, the stronger the stag. At dawn in Dyrehaven forest, an ancient deer park in Denmark, a stag emerged to challenge a rival.

Predatory Steps by Eirik Gronningsaeter (Norway). This polar bear had been resting close to shore on Kvalbeinoya, an island in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. But once it spotted the camera that had been set up it headed over to investigate. The image conveys a powerful gentleness.

Peregrine Perch by Doug Brown (USA). This peregrine falcon in California had its work cut out looking after two youngsters. While out hunting for more food, it took a break on a century plant to scan for prey, framed by curves of its strange perch.

Caimans’s Little Mouthful by Bence Mate (Hungary). This three-metre-long caiman was photographed ambling across the lawn of a lodge in Brazil’s Pantanal. Dangling from its jaws were the remains of a young armadillo. It’s rare to see one with prey.

Southern Swell by Kah Kit Yoong (Australia). Hanson Bay on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, faces the Southern Ocean and the full force of its massive swells and storms, which blow in from Antarctica. The slow shutter gives an ethereal effect, as if the sea were draining away at the world’s edge.

The Mobster by Jim Neiger (USA). This great horned owl in Florida seemed used to being mobbed, as when a fish crow suddenly appeared above it and dived down, jabbing the owl with its feet, it barely flinched, shrugging off the crow and continuing its flight.

Flight of the Rays by Florian Schulz (Germany). This aerial view of a congregation of Munk’s devil rays was taken over the Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico. It’s not unusual to see them somersaulting out of the water – locals call them tortillas because of the way they slap back down.

Back In, Front Out by Esa Malkonen (Finland). At this rookery on Deception Island, Antarctica, there are 100,000 or so penguins. Having paired up, males and femals devise a rota: one sits on the eggs (for up to five days) while the other walks back to the sea to feed.

Paris Life by Laurent Geslin (France).There is much wildlife in the heart of Paris: kestrels, sparrowhawks and even kingfishers. These rabbits live in a park close to the Arc de Triomphe and the cityscape backdrop is the business area of La Defense.

Cold Comfort by Michael Patrick O’Neill (USA/Brazil). Manatees can’t survive in temperatures below 18C (65F), and in Florida’s harsh winters many depend on the warm river springs or, as here, cluster around the tepid water discharge from power plants.

The Thoughtful Baboon by Adrian Bailey (South Africa). Each morning, thousands of Cape turtle doves come to drink at the Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, the only source of water for miles. Some are picked off by birds of prey. This young male baboon was inspecting a recent victim.

Eye for a Bird by Fergus Gill (UK).The ptarmigan is one of the many animals to survive winter in the Scottish Cairngorms, relying on camouflage to keep it safe. This simple image shows a subtle light caught in its eye and the hint of red wattle above.