Author | Lightnews

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · 9d

Thank you, Rob

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · 9d

I am happy to say that my photo “Path of the Brittle Star” has been selected as Highly Honored in the Art in Nature category of the Nature’s Best Photography International Awards.

My imagewill be published in the 2025 Winter Special 30th Anniversary Edition of Nature’s Best Photography magazine.

1 6

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · 20d

Monkey cuddles

A baby grey langur monkey being cuddled by its mother in Pench National Park, India.

#monkey #baby #wildlife #naturephotography

A close up of the face of a baby monkey while it is being held in its mother’s arms. The baby is looking straight into the camera.

1 3

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · 25d

Contemplation!

A grey langur monkey looks up during golden hour in Pench National Park, India.

#monkey #wildlife #naturephotography

Backlighting brings out the hairs on the monkey’s head as it stares up into the trees above it. The image is a close up of its head.

4

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · 28d

A tiger uses her tail to splash water on her body to help cool down as the temperature rises above 40°C (100°F).

#tiger #cat #wildlife #nature #photography

A tiger lies in the sand beside a pools of water with her head raised in the air with an expression that looks like ecstasy. The water in the pool has been disturbed by the tiger’s tail as it has used it to flick an arc of water into the air towards its body.

1 9

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Sep 23

A bronze sunbird taken in Uganda a few years ago

#bird #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #naturephotography

A sunbird hanging down from a branch with its neck bent backwards as it sips nectar from flowers

12

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Sep 15

I spotted this strange behaviour while on safari in India earlier this year. The monkey on the right appears to be stealing the other’s baby . Of course it could be the other way round. The one on the left could have been the original kidnapper.

#wildlife #behaviour #naturephotography

Monkey tug of war. Two grey langur monkeys fight over which one gets to keep the baby. Unfortunately the baby is being pulled in different directions during the struggle.

3

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Sep 14

Thank you Mick

1

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Sep 12

It is rare to be on your own at a tiger sighting and it is difficult to find the best spot for photography. For more than an hour this was a “meh” photo opportunity. Then something caused the tiger to glance up and transformed the scene for a second.

#tiger #cat #wildlife #nature #photography

A female tiger briefly glances up from her rest spot. She had been lying down, partially hidden behind an earth bank covered in long grass. The light has caught the white on her face drawing attention to her eyes.

1 1 9

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Sep 8

Sometimes when I am out with a camera an unexpected photo opportunity presents itself. In spite of not having the most appropriate lens on the camera and much too slow a shutter speed selected, I still give it a go. The results can be interesting.

#wildlife #naturephotography #otter

An intentional camera movement photo of an otter running on a beach. The beach is wet and it is reflecting the colours of the sky.

A slow shutter speed photo of an otter running on a beach. Its blurred body is partially reflected in the wet sand.

5

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Sep 5

A monkey cigarette break (it’s actually chewing on a fruit/nut that it had gathered from the ground.

#monkey #photography #naturephotography

A vervet monkey sits in the fork in a tree trunk, looking up into the canopy. She looks like she is smoking a cigarette – in fact she is chewing on a fruit that she had gathered the ground.

6

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Sep 1

The large male tiger known as Jamhol, photographed exactly 4 months ago today in Bandhavgarh National Park, India.

#tiger #photography #wildlifephotography #naturephotography

A male tiger stretches out its right foot as it strides towards me. Its eyes are fixed on mine.

1 11

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Aug 15

Two cattle egrets in breeding plumage keep a very close eye out for any insects that might be disturbed by a grazing Indian rhinoceros.

#photography #wildlifephotography #naturephotography #rhinos #birds

A close up of the head and forelegs of an Indian one-horned rhino. Two egrets are visible between the head and the foremost leg – one of them is partially hidden behind that leg. They are both looking very closely at the ground beside the rhino’s mouth.

1 30

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Aug 8

The swallow chicks fledged today. This is one of them plucking up the courage to make its second flight (back to the nest).

#bird #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #naturephotography

The chick flaps its wings as it tries to regain its balance after backing off from launching itself off the ledge.

One final stretch of the wings before launching off the ledge.

The fledgling flying the short distance back to its nest.

9

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Aug 5

Thank you Rob

1

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Aug 5

The biggest chick is hogging the prime feeding spot but its parents are ensuring that all three are getting enough to eat

#bird #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #naturephotography

A barn swallow chick sits with its head in the dip on its nest that is easiest for its parents to reach so that it is fed in preference to the others. Only the head is visible in this photo.

1 21

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Jul 30

The chicks are growing and they’re hungry – very hungry

#bird #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #naturephotography

Three swallow chicks in a nest open their mouths as wide as they can as a parent approaches bearing food

The open-mouthed chicks follow the incoming flight of one of their parents

The middle chick almost swallows the head of its parent in its eagerness to eat

1 11

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Jul 29

A portrait of Dotty, the old lady of Bandhavgarh, for International Tiger Day. This sighting was the result of being with a naturalist, Raju Gurung of Pugdundee Safaris, who knew the animals and their habits. Having heard an alarm call he parked beside one of her known paths and waited.

A portrait of a tiger. I’m looking down slightly on her head and shoulders as she looks to my left. Her mouth is open.

1 6

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Jul 25

Swallow aerobatics – after feeding the chicks, the swallow backflipped off the nest

#bird #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #naturephotography

A barn swallow flies upside down as it drops off its nest. It has twisted its head 180° so that it sees the world the right way up. Its white breast and two feet are still facing towards the ceiling.The beak of one of its chicks is just visible in the nest behind the parent.

1 33

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Jul 23

I’ve been away for a few days and returned to discover that the next brood of my resident swallows had hatched.

#bird #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #naturephotography

A nest containing an adult barn swallow with a large insect in its beak and showing the open mouth of one of the hatchlings. There are at least two hatchlings in the nest but the other is not visible in this photo.

17

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Jul 20

This deserves a caption – any suggestions?

#tiger #cat #wildlife #nature #photography

A tiger lying on the ground with its head in the air looking to the right of frame. It appears to have a surprised expression on its face. Actually it has been captured mid-yawn.

10

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Jul 11

Jackals in Bandhavgarh National Park, India

#photography #wildlifephotography #naturephotography #jackal

A pair of jackals walking on grass. The near one is looking straight into the camera. The rear one is out of focus and looking to the right of frame.

A close up of the face of a jackal showing its golden eyes

1 14

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Jul 9

Are there any climbers out there who would try this move while having a baby attached to their chest?

A monkey holds on to a tree by its fingertips as it carries its baby.

2

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Jul 4

A nightjar snoozing in Bandhavgarh National Park, India. It wasn’t as easy to spot as it looks – see the second photo for context (it’s right in the middle of it).

#bird #birdphotography #wildlifephotography

10

Alan Smith @dustyfootprints.bsky.social · Jun 30

Cheeky monkey – a baby grey langur wonders what I am doing

#photography #wildlifephotography #naturephotography #monkey

The image shows the hairs of a monkey’s back on the left hand side and part of the face of a baby monkey (as it peers around the other monkey) on the right of centre. The baby looks mischievous.

6