Strictly for the birds

In an unforgettable fortnight on the Seychelles, this is the highlight: thanks to our fantastically generous friends Zia & Madeleine, we spent a day on Bird Island, a short flight but a world away from the main island.

It's only a couple of square kilometres and houses twenty or so people - but it offers the most amazing experiences, from a (very) slow walk with the world's oldest giant tortoise, and the most beautiful of pristine, deserted beaches, to the thrill of snorkelling in crystal-clear waters with hawksbill turtles - simply breathtaking.

And, of course, birds - tens of thousands of them. A huge number of them make up a colony of sooty terns, but I think this fairy tern chick must be the cutest of the lot!