SUMMER SHOWERS

GREY-HEADED FLYING-FOXES
Pteropus poliocephalus

Grey-headed flying-foxes use their wings as raincoats to keep dry during
summer downpours. A keystone species, and one of Australia’s most effective long distance pollinators and seed dispersers, they are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Major threats include continued habitat destruction, camp disturbance and increasing heat stress events.

Yarra Bend Park, Kew, Victoria

Nikon D5, Nikon 400mm f2.8, 1/1250, f/8.0, ISO 12, 800, Gitzo
mountaineer tripod with a Really Right Stuff ball head

DEATH MOSAIC

TERMITES
Unidentified species

Following the first big spring rain, the sky fills with thousands of flying termites on the hunt for new territory. Only a very small proportion of these termites survive. This image shows dozens of flying termites that have been trapped after landing in the water of a slow-moving creek.

Bega, New South Wales

Canon 7D Mk II, EF70–200mm f2.8 L IS II USM, 1/160, f/4.5, ISO 320, handheld

FIN WHALE’S DEMISE

FIN WHALE
Balaenoptera physalus

The fin whale is sighted regularly in this region; seeing one beached, however, is rare. The whale sits less than 5m from shore and 100m from residential homes, giving whale researchers access to an unusual occurrence for this species. Bronze whalers and great whites feasted over the remains before removal.

Cheynes Beach, Albany, Western Australia

DJI Phantom 4 Pro Drone, 24mm, 1/500, f/5.6, ISO 100, 118m high, filmed with permission DPAW

MACABRE BEAUTY

GOLDEN ORB-WEAVING SPIDER
Nephila edulis

Early one morning I was shocked to discover that the female golden orb-weaving spider (Nephila edulis) I had been photographing from a ladder
had ensnared a large gecko in her web. Her web was set high (2–3m) above
the ground between the outer branches of a bottlebrush.

Adelaide, South Australia

Canon EOS 6D, Tamron 28–300mm f3.5–6.3 Di VC PZD 300mm,
1/250, f/6.3, ISO 2500, handheld

EVIL COUSIN

CRESTED HORN SHARK, Heterodontus galeatus

A crested horn shark feeds on the egg case of the related Port Jackson shark.
Each spring Port Jackson sharks gather on shallow reefs to breed and hide up to
10 eggs. Crested horn sharks make the most of the opportunity, searching the
rocky crevices for an easy meal.

Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, Manly, New South Wales

Sony NEX7 (mirrorless), Sony 10–18mm, 1/160, f/8, ISO 200,
INON strobes, handheld, Nauticam underwater housing

GRAPHIC FLUTTERER AND SUNDOG

GRAPHIC FLUTTERER
Rhyothemis graphiptera

My favourite dragonfly is Rhyothemis graphiptera. I was photographing a flight of them when a parhelion formed – a rainbow around the sun. I angled my camera to catch its reflection in the waters of Lake MacDonald.

Lake MacDonald, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Canon 6D II, Canon300mm f2.8 L, 1/1600, f/2.8, ISO 200, handheld

GULL ATTACK

SILVER GULL
Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
CRESTED TERN
Thalasseus bergii

Crested terns gather on the beach with youngsters learning the art of courting. The male catches a fish and returns, squawking loudly – hoping to interest a female. Predacious seagulls mix among the terns and often snatch fish from inexperienced youngsters. This young tern kept its fish with some artful flying.

Hastings Point, New South Wales

Canon EOS 7D Mk II, Canon EF 100–400mm f4.5–6 L IS USM II,
1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 200, handheld

CLASH OF THE CRABS

BLUE SOLDIER CRAB
Mictyris longicarpus

The blue soldier crab is seen by many as an eruption of scampering feet along a seemingly desolate tidal mudflat. But looking closer, we see these little soldiers emerge on every outgoing tide to battle for their muddy territory and to compete for a female to carry their next generation.

Nudgee Wetlands, Queensland

Nikon D500, Nikkor 200–500mm f5.6, 1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 720, handheld

THE HEAT RUN

HUMPBACK WHALES, Megaptera novaeangliae
DOLPHINS, unidentified species

The heat run is the ultimate wildlife encounter – multiple whales competing for a female.
The chase can last for hours or even days and males can display bubble netting, open mouth gulping, physical contact, loud acoustic sounds, and breaching. Even after 16 years documenting humpback behaviour in the region, it is still truly heart-thumping and adrenaline-pumping action.

Tonga, South Pacific

Canon 1DX Mk II, Canon 8–15mm fisheye, 1/320, f/8, ISO 200

NEW LIFE IN A FAR-OFF WORLD

DEMOSPONGIAE SPONGE WITH COMMENSAL
ENTOPROCTA/KAMPTOZOA

Smoking like a volcano on an alien planet, and triggered in some
mysterious way by the full moon, a sponge spawns deep on a reef in
Indonesia’s Banda Sea. Entoprocts cluster thickly around the vent,
combing the sponge’s exhalations of water for microscopic particles
of food.

Wakatobi National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Canon 5DSR, 100mm EF 100mm f2.8 L macro IS USM,
1/180, f/22, ISO 100, two INON Z240 strobes, Nauticam

FIGHTING EGRETS

GREAT EGRETS
Ardea alba

These two egrets were fighting one morning above Budgewoi Lake. The aggressor on the left prevailed and the other turned and flew off. It seems common for the many egrets here to sort out their territory early in the morning before settling down for the day to catch fish on the lake’s broad sandbank.

Budgewoi Lake, New South Wales

Canon 7D Mk II, Canon L series 100–400 image stabilised 400mm,
1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 400, white balance-auto, spot metering, underexposed
by 0.67, handheld, photographed from a kayak

SPRAY

SUPERB LYREBIRD
Menura novaehooandiae

The male superb lyrebird has an unmatched ability to mimic sounds and calls while
performing an outstanding courtship display. Their turning of moist leaf litter on the
forest floor in search of food plays a significant role in reducing fuel for bush fire.

Tathra, New South Wales

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 16–35mm f4 ED set at 24mm, 1/320, f/9,
ISO 1600, twin Nikon SB–900 flash units at 1/40,000 sec, Manfrotto tripod, motion camera trigger with delay

NOCTURNAL HUNTRESS

BULL ANT
Myrmecia brevinoda, with prey

Most hunters are driven by hunger, but not the ants. This
worker will continue to hunt every night of her adult life, yet
she may never taste her prey. Instead, she delivers it to the
colony – her brothers, sisters and her mother the queen.

Bald Rock National Park, New South Wales

Olympus EM1 Mk II, Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro, Raynox DCR-250 close-up lens, 1/250, f/11, ISO 200, Olympus FL-900R flash, custom 3D-printed diffuser and softbox, manual focus with focus peaking, handheld

The AG Nature Photographer of the Year Awards are sponsored by Coral Expeditions.