Egyptian goose goslings

Egyptian goose goslings

These adorable little Egyptian goose goslings (Alopochen aegyptiaca) in Richmond Park didn’t stray far from their mum and only left her side when there was nobody nearby.

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Red deer licking flies

Red deer licking flies

Red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Richmond Park being bothered by a swarm of flies.

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Canada-Greylag hybrid goose

Canada-Greylag hybrid goose

I often stop to feed the ducks and geese in Richmond on my walk home from work. This Canada-Greylag hybrid goose (Branta canadensis/Anser anser) was eating out of my hand!

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Cornish flag in Cornish rocks

Cornish flag in Cornish rocks

Cross-cutting granite dykes intruding the Mylor slate at Porthmeor, Cornwall.

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Cross-cutting dykes

Cross-cutting dykes

Cross-cutting granite dykes intruding the Mylor slate at Porthmeor, Cornwall.

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Serpentinite

Serpentinite

Red and green serpentinite at Kynance Cove, Lizard, Cornwall showing several generations of fracturing and serpentinisation.

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Light and shadow in the Palm House

Light and shadow in the Palm House

The greenhouses at Kew Gardens show a dramatic contrast in light between the between the bright windows and the dark shaded interior.

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Palm House

Palm House

The entrance to the amazing Palm House at Kew Gardens.

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Lake crossing

Lake crossing

View across the lake crossing at Kew Gardens.

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Palm House through the blossoms

Palm House through the blossoms

A view through the early blossoms to the stunning Palm House at Kew Gardens.

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Rhodanthe floribunda

Rhodanthe floribunda

Rhodanthe floribunda in the Davies Exploration House, Kew Gardens.

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Great Pagoda

Great Pagoda

A view towards the Great Pagoda from the Temperate House, Kew Gardens.

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Cornus disciflora

Cornus disciflora

I love the structured petals of this Cornus disciflora in the Temperate House of Kew Gardens.

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Female mallard at sunrise

Female mallard at sunrise

I saw this female mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) in Richmond Park at sunrise.

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Tall fern at Parque Nacional Los Quetzales

Tall fern at Parque Nacional Los Quetzales

A tall fern standing like a tree in the mountainous rainforest of Parque Nacional Los Quetzales. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Mountain stream near Providencia, Costa Rica

Mountain stream near Providencia, Costa Rica

Rapids of a mountain stream near Providencia, Dota. Our car trouble meant we only had one day at the remote Tami Lodge near Providencia. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Waterfall near Tami Lodge, Providencia Costa Rica

Waterfall near Tami Lodge, Providencia Costa Rica

A little waterfall and gorge a short walk from Tami Lodge near Providencia, Dota. Our car trouble meant we only had one day at the remote Tami Lodge. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Mountain stream near Providencia, Costa Rica

Mountain stream near Providencia, Costa Rica

Rapids of a mountain stream near Providencia, Dota. Our car trouble meant we only had one day at the remote Tami Lodge near Providencia. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Lesson’s Motmot

Lesson’s Motmot

An early morning photo of a Lesson’s Motmot (Momotus lessonii) taken near San Isidro de El General. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Big tree standing above the rainforest capopy

Big tree standing above the rainforest capopy

Our car broke shortly after we left the Osa Peninsula and began to climb into the Cordillera de Talamanca. I took this photo of our view while we waited for six hours to get recovered. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Chestnut-Mandibled Toucan

Chestnut-Mandibled Toucan

I spotted this Chestnut-Mandibled Toucan (Ramphastos ambiguus swainsonii) just as we were leaving the Osa Peninsula. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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White-faced Capucins

White-faced Capucins

It’s always a pleasure to see these little White Faced Capuchin monkeys (Cebus imitator) on the Osa Peninsula. They can be mischievous and cheaky (and sometimes a pest) but are always fun to watch. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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White-faced Capucin

White-faced Capucin

It’s always a pleasure to see these little White Faced Capuchin monkeys (Cebus imitator) on the Osa Peninsula. They can be mischievous and cheaky (and sometimes a pest) but are always fun to watch. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Green Iguana

Green Iguana

A Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) running through the surf and sunning itself on the rocks. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Golden Carpenter Ant

Golden Carpenter Ant

These Golden Carpenter Ants (Camponotus sericeiventris) look like tiny scraps of gold velvet scurrying about the forest floor. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Sunset in Drake Bay

Sunset in Drake Bay

Drake Bay will always hold a very special place in my heart. In 2015 and 2016, I stayed there while doing my PhD fieldwork on the Osa Mélange. The town has changed so much in just the few years since then but it is no less beautiful. The sunsets are especially marvellous. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Brown Boobie

Brown Boobie

This photo of a juvenile Brown Boobie (Sula leucogaster) in flight was taken from a moving boat bouncing through the waves. The fact that I was able to get a usable photo in those conditions was astoundingly good luck. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Brown three-toed Sloth

Brown three-toed Sloth

I’m really glad I was able to get a photo of this brown three-toed sloth (Bradypus variegatus) while I was in Costa Rica. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Rio Sirena

Rio Sirena

The beautiful Rio Sirena as it meets the Pacific Ocean. I never got a chance to visit the Corcovado National Park when I was in Costa Rica in 2015 and 2016 for my PhD fieldwork so this was a very special experience. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Baird’s tapir

Baird’s tapir

We were very fortunate to watch this Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii) cross the Rio Sirena and walk right past us. I never got a chance to visit the Corcovado National Park when I was in Costa Rica in 2015 and 2016 for my PhD fieldwork so this was a very special experience. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Sunset over Drake Bay

Sunset over Drake Bay

Drake Bay will always hold a very special place in my heart. In 2015 and 2016, I stayed there while doing my PhD fieldwork on the Osa Mélange. The town has changed so much in just the few years since then but it is no less beautiful. The sunsets are especially marvellous. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Bare-throated Tiger Heron

Bare-throated Tiger Heron

I spotted this Bare-throated Tiger Heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum) wading through the stream that ran through our hotel in Puerto Jimenez. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Brown Pelicans

Brown Pelicans

It was so amazing seeing these brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) diving in sequence to catch fish. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Brown Pelican

Brown Pelican

It was so amazing seeing these brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) diving in sequence to catch fish. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Smooth-Billed Ani

Smooth-Billed Ani

We saw this Smooth-Billed Ani (Crotophaga ani) while driving along the southern coast of Osa Peninsula. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Pale-billed woodpecker

Pale-billed woodpecker

We saw several of these pale-billed woodpeckers (Campephilus guatemalensis) while on Osa Peninsula. This one was seemingly posing for the camera! Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Christmas lights in La Fortuna

Christmas lights in La Fortuna

Christmas in Costa Rica was very different to in the UK; certainly far less showy and commercialised. It did feel very weird seeing Christmas lights while it was warm enough to walk around in just a t-shirt at night. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Owl Butterfly

Owl Butterfly

I was amazed at the detail I could capture in these macro photos of these Owl Butterflies. You can see the individual components of its eye! Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Miconia paleacea

Miconia paleacea

I saw this spikey Miconia paleacea when walking near Arenal volcano. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Centropogon

Centropogon

I adore the bright reds and oranges of these incredible Centropogon flowers near Arenal. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Pacaya palm fruit

Pacaya palm fruit

I love the vibrant reds and greens on the receptacle and fruit of this Pacaya palm (Chamaedorea costaricana). Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Water droplet

Water droplet

One of the simplest yet most amazing things I saw in the rainforest near Arenal volcano was how the water droplets on the plants would focus the light to create an in-focus image of the canopy behind. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Buff-throated saltators

Buff-throated saltators

Watching the birds being fed a breakfast of ripe fruit while we ate our own Costa Rican-style breakfast was a real treat! We saw several species of birds, including these Buff-throated saltators (Saltator maximus) as well as Orange-chinned Parakeets (Brotogeris jugularis) and Green Honeycreepers (Chlorophanes spiza). Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Orange-chinned Parakeet

Orange-chinned Parakeet

Watching the birds being fed a breakfast of ripe fruit while we ate our own Costa Rican-style breakfast was a real treat! We saw several species of birds, including these Orange-chinned Parakeets (Brotogeris jugularis) as well as Green Honeycreepers (Chlorophanes spiza) and Buff-throated saltators (Saltator maximus). Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Orange-chinned Parakeet

Orange-chinned Parakeet

Watching the birds being fed a breakfast of ripe fruit while we ate our own Costa Rican-style breakfast was a real treat! We saw several species of birds, including these Orange-chinned Parakeets (Brotogeris jugularis) as well as Green Honeycreepers (Chlorophanes spiza) and Buff-throated saltators (Saltator maximus). Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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Golden-bellied Flycatcher

Golden-bellied Flycatcher

This inquisitive Golden-bellied Flycatcher (Myiodynastes hemichrysus) was sitting on a fence in La Fortuna watching us have breakfast. This was the perfect opportunity to break out my new Sigma 150 – 600mm lens. Taken on my recent holiday to Costa Rica over Christmas 2022.

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I’m Alex Clarke

Geologist, educator, photographer, first aider, leathercrafter… I am a person of diverse interests and expertise.

I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at Johannes Gutenberg–Universität Mainz. My research focusses on the tectonics of subduction zones and understanding how the physical heterogeneity the plate boundary interface influences the wider-scale tectonics and hazards. I also love to teach and am interested in innovative and engaging methods of teaching earth sciences, both in the classroom and in the field.

I am also a hobbyist nature photographer and my images highlight the hidden wonder and diversity of our natural world. In my remaining time, I volunteer as an Advanced First Aider for St John Ambulance and am a hobbyist leathercrafter.