Essence of the Arctic: Pushing through the ice floes. On the M/S Malmo we spent a lot of time pushing through the ice around Svalbard. The colours in the sky, reflections in the sea and the patterns in the ice made for a wonderful experience. The wonders of the Arctic!
Close encounter with a polar bear. Near Wahlenbergfjoden in Svalbard, this lovely looking female was spotted asleep on the ice in the distance. As we approached very slowly, she woke, rolled over and made her way towards us. The ice was wonderful and the reflections...
The mighty Walrus on ice. It is always special to see Walrus hauled out on ice floes. It was comical to see the youngster rubbing itself on the ice. In the second clip blood can be seen running down the tusk of the mother. It was unclear what had caused the damage but...
Two polar bears vie for a seal carcass. Getting food is tough in the Arctic! On the ice near Svalbard, this large male polar bear had killed a beared seal and you can see from the state he is in that he had been feasting on the kill for some time. The younger male...
The Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) can be found from the southeastern United States to Central Chile and Uruguay. Black vulture adults stand 64 cm high, weigh 1.8 Kg with a 1.33m wingspan. These were viewed in Costa Rica.
The rather quirky King Vulture. King vultures have very distinctive black and white plumage which makes them easy to identify. However, King Vultures are uncommon and difficult to find. At Laguna del Lagarto there is a hide and bait is put out each day. This attracts...
Three-toed sloth. On our recent trip to Costa Rica we searched for sloths. These are quite common animals but very hard to spot since they live mostly in the tree canopy. Their colour makes them appear as a bunch of leaves. This animal put on a great display,...
Black-mandibled Toucan. Toucans are the quintessential birds of the neotropics. The Black-mandibled Toucan is the largest of the Toucans. We saw this magnificent specimen in Costa Rica.
Collared Aracari. Toucans are the quintessential neotropic birds. The wonderful Collared Aracari is the smallest of the Toucans but nevertheless is a lovely bird to see. These were seen in Costa Rica.
White-necked Jacobin. Costa Rica enjoys a diverse range of beautiful hummingbirds. Perhaps the most spectacular is the White-necked Jacobin. Its royal blue head is a notable feature. In wet lowland and the foot hills of Costa Rica, these birds are reasonably common....
The Resplendent Quetzal is resplendent indeed! We watched these Resplendent Quetzals in the Savegre Valley of Costa Rica. They were visiting a wild avocado tree close to a small, gurgling stream. They feed mostly on members of the avocado family The striking males...
Amazing leafcutter ants. In Costa Rica we watched as a single ant cut a large segment off a leaf before joining the masses to carry its load back to its colony. Interestingly, the leafcutter ants do not feed on the leaves. Rather, the leaves are used to feed their...
Magenta-throated Woodstar of Costa Rica. A lovely hummingbird! Costa Rica is a wonderful place to view hummingbirds. These birds feed on nectar and to do so have evolved the ability to hover and fly backwards. This and their striking colours make them a delight to...
An impressive bird of Costa Rica! Costa Rica is a wonderful place for bird watching. We had many encounters with the striking Keel-billed Toucan. This lovely bird has a bright and multi-coloured bill. A very impressive bird!
Lion pride on a buffalo kill. This pride had killed a buffalo overnight and we came upon the scene in the early morning. Already much of the carcass was finished and the pride had very full bellies. The young cubs were taking their turn and soon they were full, too....
North American otters of Yellowstone. We had nice views of these North American otters from Uncle Tom's Point which overlooks the Upper Yellowstone Falls. They were quite a distance away and the view was through some bushes. First we saw their slides and then the...
Coyote hunting along the river bank. This coyote had just finished snacking on an unidentifiable carcass. Clearly this was not enough so it set off looking for more carrion or prey. The setting was magical as it wandered along the banks of the Madison river. A winter...
Coyote enjoys a feast in the snow. It was a cold, windy and snowy day in Yellowstone. This coyote had found the carcass of a trumpeter swan and was frantically digging it out of the snow. It was a good meal in this harsh environment. Two ravens looked on and grabbed a...
Snowy bison of Yellowstone. It was a cold and snowy day in Yellowstone National Park. This small herd of bison were wandering around in the search for food. It is fascinating to see them bulldoze the snow with their noses to reveal the grass underneath. They ate their...
Bighorn sheep of Yellowstone. It was a blustery day when we found these bighorn sheep high up on the rock face. With a blue sky as a background and snow flurries blowing across the scene, it was a very good encounter with these sheep. No guessing why they are called...