My name is Hugh Lansdown and I'm a wildlife photographer and author based in Swansea, South Wales where I've been involved in various conservation activities over the years, including giving talks, leading walks and chairing the local Wildlife Trust group.
To see more wildlife photos please have a look at the gallery above or use the menus at the top to browse my trip reports. If you'd like to know more about my series of children's books 'Wildlife of the World', click on the 'Books' link above, and if you have any questions about my work, you can find my contact details as well as my Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky links, on my contact page here...
Latest News
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Waigeo Island, Papua, Indonesia
- 6th - 10th October 2025
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Following on from eight superb days of mountain trekking, the next stage in my Papuan adventure involved heading back to the coast for a local ferry to the island of Waigeo. With more comfortable facilities and easier access to the forest, I spent an excellent few days dodging the daily torrential rain showers in search of more birds-of-paradise, cuscus and possums.
You can see some photos and read about how I got on here…
Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise (Diphyllodes respublica) on Waigeo Island
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Wildlife of Papua, Indonesia
- 28th September - 5th October 2025
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In September I finally managed to visit a place that’s fascinated me for many, many years… the mystical island of Papua, or New Guinea. With huge expanses of lush uncharted rainforest, and strange animals like echidna, possums and birds of paradise, it’s probably the toughest trip I’ve ever taken, but also the most exciting! Full trip report with more photos and videos here…
Western Long-beaked Echidna (Zaglossus bruijnii)
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Wildlife Garden Five Years On
- June 2025
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During the Covid confinement of 2020 I decided to try turning the bare, desolate patio at the back of my house into a wildlife garden. Now, five years on, thanks to the amazing Celtic Wildflowers nursery the garden is over-flowing with native flowers and buzzing with wildlife, including 13 species of dragonfly, 22 butterflies, 8 wild mammals and a host of birds, beetles, bees etc.
Click here for a full report, with lots more photos as well as some videos and lists of species.
Greater Water Boatman (Notonecta glauca) in my pond
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Sweden in Winter
- 8th - 17th February 2025
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Annoyingly I had to delay the start of my trip due to illness, but after rearranging my flights, spent a really enjoyable week exploring central Sweden in winter. The wildlife is obviously limted at that time of year, with most of it dormant or hibernating, but the birds-of-prey easily made up for that with golden and white-tailed eagles, a superb little hawk owl and the beautiful male goshawk below with his glaring red eyes!
Goshawk (Astur gentilis)
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Wildlife of the World - South Africa
- 18th November 2024
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The fourth book in the Wildlife of the World series is now available in hardback, paperback and ebook versions. South Africa is one of the world's 'biodiversity hotspots' and inside are photos ranging from lions, rhinos and meerkats to penguins, tortoises and strange poisonous grasshoppers!... as well as interesting (and often surprising!) facts, a hidden wildlife challenge and links to various on-line media. Click here for more details and the Amazon link.
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Andes and Cloud Forest of Ecuador
- 9th - 16th June 2024
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The final week of my South America trip was spent in the wildlife hotspot of Ecuador, firstly enduring the challenges of the high Andes and then enjoying incredible biodiversity in the cloud forest.
You can find more photos and details of my trip here...
Kinkajou (Potos flavus) at Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve
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Wildlife of Eastern Brazil
- 21st May - 9th June 2024
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Just returned from one of my most challenging trips, exploring eastern Brazil. Finding wildlife in the remaining fragments of wild habitat in this most populated region of the country was far from easy, but with the help of some excellent local guides I managed all my main target species.
Click here for the trip report...
White-tufted Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) roof-running in Rio de Janeiro
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Sri Lankan Wildlife
- 5th - 13th Feb 2024
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After the Western Ghats I arranged a short budget tour of south-west Sri Lanka. The country has become much more developed and touristy since my last visit 17 years ago, but it's still a wonderful wildlife-watching destination. Trip report here...
Pod of Spinner Dolphins (Stenella longirostris)
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The Western Ghats, India
- 28th Jan - 5th Feb 2024
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Keen for a break from Welsh winter rain I arranged a week-long trip somewhere I'd been wanting to visit for a long time... the Western Ghats in southern India. A beautiful, mountainous region of this facinating country, with many species found nowhere else in the world.
Click here for the trip report including dancing frogs and a leopard chase!
Leopard (Panthera pardus) at full speed!
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Wildlife of the World - Madagascar
- 25th March 2024
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The third book in the Wildlife of the World series for 8 to 13 year olds is now out. Following the same format as the previous two volumes, it contains over 100 wildlife photos, with information about the animals and their conservation as well as 'hidden wildlife' puzzles and links to videos and other online media. Click here for more details and the Amazon link.
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Old News Reports
If you would like to see some of the older news articles, please click here
Events
- 13th January 2025
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Talk for the Bridgend Wildlife Trust Group
- 2nd - 17th February 2025
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Photographic trip to Sweden
- 17th April 2025
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April 2025 Newsletter
- 6th May 2025
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Wildlife of the World - China ebook published
- 11th May 2025
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May 2025 Newsletter
- 1st June 2025
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Book Display at the Brynmill Coffee House
- 15th June 2025
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June 2025 Newsletter
- 15th July 2025
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Wildlife of the World - China 2nd Edition published
- 17th July 2025
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July 2025 Newsletter
- 3rd August 2025
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Wildlife of the World - Costa Rica eBook published
- 15th August 2025
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August 2025 Newsletter
- 10th September 2025
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Wildlife of the World - Costa Rica 2nd Edition published
- 13th September 2025
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September 2025 Newsletter
- 25th September - 20th October 2025
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Photographic trip to Indonesia
- 15th November 2025
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November 2025 Newsletter
- 1st - 13th February 2026
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Photographic trip to Uganda
- 8th - 12th June 2026
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Photographic trip to Pembrokeshire
- 22nd - 26th June 2026
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Photographic trip to Pembrokeshire
- 27th June 2026
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Leading a walk at Crwys Community Woodland
- 20th - 27th July 2026
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Photographic Trip to Skokholm Island
- 4th - 11th September 2026
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Photographic Trip to Skokholm Island
- 12th - 13th September 2026
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Photographic Trip to Skomer Island
Trip Reports
Click on the links below to view the wildlife reports from my trips:
- Waigeo Island, Papua, Indonesia
- Wildlife of Papua, Indonesia
- Wildlife Garden Update 2025
- Tour of Scandinavia 2024
- Andes and Cloud Forest of Ecuador 2024
- Eastern Brazil 2024
- Sri Lanka 2024
- Western Ghats, India 2024
- Japan 2023
- Trinidad & Tobago 2023
- Ecuador 2023
- South Africa 2022
- Madagascar 2022
- Northern Tanzania 2022
- Costa Rica 2022
- The Scottish Highlands 2021
- Welsh Wildlife Garden 2021
- Isle of Mull, Scotland 2020
- Java, Indonesia 2020
- Sulawesi, Indonesia 2020
- Sumatra, Indonesia 2020
- France and Spain 2019
- Ethiopia 2018
- Ethiopian Wolves 2018
- Gelada Baboons 2018
- Mammals and birds of Namibia 2018
- The Northern Cape, South Africa 2018
- Lion stealing camera equipment! 2018
- The Western Cape, South Africa 2018
- Red Sea Marine Life, Egypt 2018
- Fayoum Oasis, Egypt 2018
- Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador 2017
- Amazon Rainforest, Peru 2017
- The high Andes 2017
- The Galapagos Islands 2017
- Cloud forest birds, Ecuador 2017
- Assam, India 2017
- Winter in Hokkaido, Japan 2017
- The central Chinese Mountains 2017
- Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys, China 2017
- Red Pandas, China 2016
- The Tibetan Plateau, China 2016
- Amazon Rainforest, Brazil 2016
- The Northern Pantanal, Brazil 2016
- The Southern Pantanal, Brazil 2016
- Hainan Island, China 2016
- Tibetan Macaques, China 2016
- Tangjiahe National Park, China 2016
- Okinawa Island, Japan 2015
- Black Snub-nosed Monkeys, China 2015
- Wuyishan Mountains, China 2015
- Median Farm Moth Survey, Wales 2015
- Pembrokeshire Parasites, Wales 2015
- Welsh Amphibians and Reptiles, Wales 2015
- Snake eating a Gecko, Uganda 2014
- Bwindi Primates, Uganda 2014
- Uganda Camera Traps, 2014
- Cicadas emerging, Uganda 2014
- Glowworms and moths, Wales 2014
- Biting Midges, Wales 2014
- Buff-tip Moth Life Cycle, Wales 2014
Previous
Newsletters
Newsletters
Conservation
You can't spend your days out in the countryside photographing wildlife without being amazed at the wonder and intricacy of the natural world. At the same time, the huge threats facing the environment are plain for everyone to see and unless we're prepared to fight to protect it, many of the creatures we admire so much will be lost forever.
Below is a list of environmental and conservation groups I belong to. If you'd like to know more about any of them either follow the links or use the contact page to get in touch and I'll pass your details on.
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The Wildlife Trust - www.welshwildlife.org
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Butterfly Conservation - www.butterfly-conservation.org
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RSPB - www.rspb.org.uk
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Amateur Entomologists' Society - www.amentsoc.org
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The following are some other related organisations.
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British Arachnological Society - www.britishspiders.org.uk
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Llanelli Naturalists - www.llanellinaturalists.org.uk
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Gower Wildlife - www.goweros.blogspot.co.uk
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Celtic Wildflowers - www.celticwildflowers.co.uk/
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Glamorgan Wildlife Photographic Club - www.glamorganwildlifephotoclub.org.uk
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Ardeola Environmental Services - www.ardeola-environmental.com