It is often said that "a picture is worth a thousand words." That is certainly true of the images of fleeting moments of nature submitted by international ecologists and students for the British Ecological Society's (BES) annual photography competition. Here are a few of 2019's winning entries.
Red Night
Photographed by Roberto Garcia Roa, it was declared last year's overall winner. The image captures both the beauty of the magnificent snake and its fear of human threats like fires. The ecologist says, "During my visit to Madagascar, I had the pleasure of finding this snake and photographing it. To offer a dramatic scene reflecting the conditions that these snakes are suffering, I used an external red light as a source of light to capture the environment."
The Rhino's Annual Haircut
It was photographed by ecologist Molly Penny. The ongoing demand for rhino (犀牛) horns has reduced the population to just 30,000 globally. To try to save the species, ecologists in South Africa, home to over 20,000 southern white rhinos, have decided to saw off (锯掉) it part of the animals' horns, which regrow every year. "The Rhino's Annual Haircut," captured beautifully in the black-and-white photo by Molly Penny from the University of the West of England, reduces the risk of the animals being cruelly murdered.
For the Love of Flamingos
Photographed by Peter Hudson, it captures a heart-shaped cloud of pink flamingos in Kenya, which is truly a sight like none other. The ecologist says, "Flamingos are all legs and necks but meanwhile beautiful and fascinating and I admit I have a deep passion for them, so I was thrilled when, flying high over Lake Magadi, I watched this flock from themselves into a heart shape."
Flames in Flumes
Photographed by Nilanjan Chatterjee, it captures a water redstart waiting to catch an insect near a small waterfall. It was the best overall student submission. The photographer wanted to show the struggle the river birds are likely to face from the slowdown in water flow due to planned dams in rivers across India.
