Nature guidebook helps children and hikers identify Hong Kong’s diverse wildlife

Hong Kong wildlife enthusiast Robert Ferguson admits the image that won him a nature photography competition is “pretty ugly”.

“Even my wife told me she thought the photo was ugly and that I had submitted much better ones,” says Ferguson, who won the People’s Choice award in last month’s Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2020 competition, which received 7,000 entries from 117 countries. “I agree with her – just look at that thick rubbery fish and the veined beak and beady eye of the pelican. It’s definitely not beautiful. But I think what resonated with people is how the photo captured the drama of life and death.”

The image, titled I’m Not Going Easy, was taken in Jurong, Singapore, and shows a great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) struggling to swallow a fish that had lodged in its beak.

“These birds are wild and free to roam, but have established a large colony on one of the artificial islands,” Ferguson says. “I’m sure the pelican was not enjoying it … it was really struggling to swallow its large prey.” The battle lasted about 20 minutes.

“I was fascinated to see the intricate veins in the bird’s throat pouch, as the overcast day backlit the thin skin; I had to move and crouch low to the ground to get the shot.”

While the bird is native to the area, the fish is not, another factor, he says, that adds to the “ugliness” of the image.