Top 50 for 2012 - # - Graeme Guy's Nature Photography

I considered these the best, or they have a story to tell, from shooting locally in Northern Malaysia for the first half of 2012

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I was doing a photo essay of two species of Bee-eater nesting and there were several pairs of resident White-throated Kingfishers in the vicinity. Their nesting attempts did not seem to be successful but one male was an exuberant tosser of insects and frogs.

Bee-eaters are brilliant fliers and catch all of their prey while airborne. I was determined to get a pursuit and spent a long day with flying Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters to get this. The proximity of the bee was a fortuitous accident.

The bee-eaters come back with a variety of prey but mainly bees and dragonflies. Most often moths and butterflies are rather mangled after being bashed and tossed. This was a fresh grab and the butterfly is still relatively intact and the scales still coming off the wings give a sense of an action signature.

Smooth-coated Otter with a Catfish, Straits Quay

A pair of Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters getting cosy

I wanted to catch the insect toss. The bee-eaters will toss them to get them in a favorable position to eat....avoiding stings. I got many shots of tossing but in this image I managed two tosses in one shot. I noted that the Chestnut-headed are more enthusiastic tossers than their Blue-throated cousins.

The same male White-throated Kingfisher that liked tossing bugs also had a penchant for frogs.

I was doing a photo essay of two species of Bee-eater nesting and there were several pairs of resident White-throated Kingfishers in the vicinity. Their nesting attempts did not seem to be successful but one male was an exuberant tosser of insects and frogs.