Nick Yates Photos

Inquisitive chick in Surama Guyana. Harpy Eagles are the most powerful birds of prey on the planet. Monkeys are a staple for them as is confirmed by the numerous bones found at the bottom of any tree in which they are nesting. This guy had flown over from his tree to get a better look at me in an adjacent tree. I armed myself with a long stick in case he felt the need to come any closer. A real privilege to share a branch with him.

King penguins heading for the ocean at Gold Harbour on South Georgia. They appear to have startled an elephant seal who waves her tail in response to being rudely awakened.

A pair of grey headed albatross having a chat on South Georgia. Despite inclement weather we managed to get ashore and climb to this vantage point offering great views of these magnificent birds.

Marine iguana catching some evening sun in the Galapagos. Prehistoric seems like a good word.

African elephant fans us as he flaps his ears. Slightly unsettling due to an incident experienced two weeks previously. Watching Jessamy's hair wave in the wind created by this magnificent animal made us realise just how close we were. 

King penguin chick remains cool. Perhaps it was a warm day by his standards.

Fur seals at Prince Olav Harbour in South Georgia. South Georgia is littered with old whaling stations. Thankfully now the main residents are currently fur seals whose population is booming. Being aggressive in nature this particular seal made it quite interesting as we tried to get on and off the boat. 

Fantastic detail as a king penguin takes a snooze on South Georgia. Seeing the colour and arrangement of the feathers this close up was very interesting. 

Young elephant feeding in Tanzania. Even though not in shot I'm sure the mother wasn't far away. Or is that her appearing from behind the tree in the background?

A cheetah stays alert in Zimbabwe. I had just spent the previous five minutes walking around with this animal as he had my finger in his mouth. Luckily we were at a research centre so there was an assistant on hand to help me out of my predicament. 

Trying not to wake a sleeping king penguin at Gold Harbour South Georgia. He seemed unperturbed by the comings and goings as other penguins passed by on their way to and coming back from the ocean.

Harpy Chick joins me on my tree as he comes to check things out. The rear talons on this bird measure up to 3-4 inches which is the same as a grizzly bears claws. I did not want to get on the wrong side of those. I had armed myself with a stick in case he decided to take a closer look.

Oops... sorry did I wake you? Female elephant seal rudely awoken at Gold Harbour South Georgia. King penguins heading down to the beach careful to avoid the ice chunks before heading out to sea.

Young giraffe stays close to its mother in Tanzania. They remain alert  as they survey the surrounding area.

Fresh from a morning dip this king penguin saunters up the beach in South Georgia. He should have had a decent breakfast and be ready to share with his chicks. Another large bird has obviously passed by recently.

Not much will go to waste as this giant petrel takes advantage of an unlucky penguin in South Georgia. Natural selection at work.

A giant Petrel continues his meal on a beach in South Georgia. 

Elephants having a disagreement in South Afria. The rest of the herd give them space as the dispute continues. 

Gentoo penguins courting at sunset on the Antarctic Peninsula. This is just one shot of the many taken during this elaborate display. Great to see especially with the sunset as a backdrop. It got cold quickly as the sun fell below the horizon.

King penguin colony St Andrews bay South Georgia. Hard to imagine how complete pandemonium doesn't reign with so many of the same species living in such close proximity. Their capacity to locate family within the masses is very impressive.

Macaque monkey no doubt eating stolen food in Thailand. Tourists occasionally get a little too friendly with these guys who should not be underestimated.

Macaroni penguin colony at Cobblers Bay South Georgia. Funny little guys with what appear to be cartoon eyebrows. Again they choose to nest quite some distance from the sea.

Sooty Albatross soaring on cliffs at Cobblers Bay South Georgia. Flight at its purist. Magical and mesmerising.

Blue footed booby in the Galapagos. On refection maybe not the best idea to omit the trademark blue feet from this shot. As it is a black and white maybe it's OK.

Southern fur seals thrive on South Georgia. Numbers were increasing rapidly back in 2008. Arming yourself with a big stick when on shore was a wise move due to their aggressive nature.

Chinstrap penguin still has a fair climb ahead as he returns from the ocean on Deception Island. Steep ground requiring a huge effort as they are not exactly designed for hiking.

Grey headed albatross having a breather on South Georgia. The beautiful colourings on this bird make it a stunning species of albatross. Really lucky to have got this close.

Dragonfly Thailand. Incredible wing structure. When we take the time to look it is amazing to see the intricacies of this insect. 

Giant Petrel with its young on South Georgia. Giant petrels are aggressive predators and scavengers.

Getting a good close up look of this elephant in Tanzania.

Chinstrap penguins returning from a feeding trip on Deception Island. Breaking through the surf would lead to a less than elegant arrival on the beach. Fun to witness.

Young elephant learning the ropes. The ever watchful mother keeps a close eye on her young.

Another inquisitive look as this young harpy checks out his new neighbour. Local villagers helped rig up ropes to gain access to the forest canopy. The initial phase involved shooting a bow and arrow with fishing line attached high into the trees. Ropes and aid climbing followed. Being attacked by large biting ants on a crux move is particularly memorable.

A third albatross arrives to join in the chat on South Georgia's Elsehull Bay. A real privilege (once again) to be so close to these most exquisite birds. Inclement weather was discouraging anybody from leaving our boat. After much persausion from myself the few who did venture ashore were richly rewarded. A great way to finish our visit to South Georgia before heading to the Falklands.

Two macaws fly in at sunset displaying magnificent colours in the evening light. They were not alone as dozens of birds flew past the village shop where we were enjoying a drink with the locals.

Wandering albatross looking after its young at Ellsehull Bay South Georgia. The chick not obvious at first glance.

Lion cubs in Zimbabwe. Cute but still have sharp teeth not to be underestimated.

I've been looking for you everywhere... South Georgia.

Blue footed booby prepares for take off in the Galapagos. This shot shows those feet off in all their glory. 

A wanderer dips a wingtip far out to sea between South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. Great to see them doing what they are designed for. Able to cover distances up to 10000 miles in one go is very impressive. The albatross flies so efficiently that it uses less energy in flight than when it’s sitting on dry land.

A pair of Galapagos sea lions having a very relaxing time on the beach. Tourism in the Galapagos is very well controlled so hopefully these guys will be able to chill out for many years to come. 

Chinstrap penguins appear very organised with very distinct routes to and from the beach on Deception Island.

Agitated cheetah in Zimbabwe. She is not too happy with whatever is going on close by. I genuinely don't remember us being the issue here and am fairly sure it was another cat in the vicinity.

Feeding time for a young gentoo penguin on South Georgia. Good to see the smaller sibling getting its fair share here.

Black-browed albatross soars above the Chilean channels. Incredible control and grace. I love the detail showing the feathers on top of the wings being ruffled by the breeze.

Falcon used by his Uyghur owner for hunting in Xinjiang China. This practice still widely used in this part of the world.

Cape vulture arriving at a carcass in northern Namibia. About to join up to a hundred birds in a feeding frenzy. On close inspection you can see a ring on the left leg indicating this bird as part of a sample group being studied by local scientists.

Blue footed booby with amazingly white chick in the Galapagos. The previous week my friends had watched as a flock of these birds as they dive bombed the sea in a feeding frenzy. Must have been quite a sight.

Harpy eagle chick continues to check out its new neighbour in Guyana. Not long after he would build up the courage to visit my tree. I spent five amazing days up in the forest canopy with this incredible bird. 

Beautiful launch as grey headed albatross searches for an updraft high above the ocean. It really is the purist form of flight. Time seems to stand still as you watch them soaring back and forth on the updraft created by the seacliffs.

 A puffin enjoys a clear day on the Treshnish Isles. The Treshnish is an archipelago of small islands and skerries, lying west of Mull, in Scotland. They are part of the Inner Hebrides.

A cayman rests on the bank of the Burro Burro river in Guyana. An interesting looking insect takes a walk between his eyes. The jungle here was teaming with wildlife. The haunting noise created by howler monkeys was a definite highlight. 

Gentoo penguins out for a walk high above the ocean of the Antarctic Peninsula. One of the peninsula's highest peaks looms large in the distance,

Harpy chick looks sinister as I take its picture mid blink.

Elephant family take a stroll along the riverbank in Tanzania. Nice backdrop as they approach the water.

A blue eyed shag nesting in a shipwreck in Ocean Harbour South Georgia. It was an interesting climb up an old rope ladder that was attached to the rotting hull. Getting from the tender onto the ladder itself was perhaps the crux.

Great grey owl taken in a wildlife park I'm afraid but still an interesting face.

A querying look from this lone bird in South Georgia. Exquisite birds.

Elephants on the hunt for water in Tanzania. 

This may only be a chick but those talons are still capable of inflicting serious damage. As previously mentioned these talons are equal in length to the claws of a grizzly bear.

Some chinstraps arriving from a feed as others head towards the ocean. Flock of birds playing on the waves in the background. The backdrop of volanic rock on Deception Island completes the scene.