Blyth's Reed Warbler by Graham Clarke
This week's winning shot by Graham Clarke shows that not all rarity photos have to be full-frame; his Blyth's Reed Warbler image captures the species perfectly and yet is greatly enhanced by being small in the frame, but nicely perched on an Angelica to create a distinctive 'Shetland vagrant' scene.
The image is also a fantastic identification shot, showing off the short primary projection of Blyth's in its characteristic 'banana' pose, beautifully caught by the photographer. A 500mm lens and a 1.4× converter were used, mounted on a tripod, and the image was shot at 1/800th second, f5.6 at ISO500.
Congratulations to Graham on his well-deserved Photo of the Week — and also for managing to hide the ring that is on the other leg!
You can read more on bird photography from Steve Young, including product reviews and a regular Photo Challenge for readers, every month in Birdwatch magazine.
Other notable images
Kingfisher, undisclosed site, Derbyshire (Photo: Mary Wilde)
Goldfinch, Whitley Bay, Northumberland (Photo: Heiko Peters)
Red-breasted Flycatcher, Hestingott, Mainland, Shetland (Photo: Peter Garrity)
Yellow-browed Warbler, Hartlepool Headland, Cleveland (Photo: Martyn Sidwell)
Crossbill, Haldon Forest, Devon (Photo: Charlie Fleming)
Common Snipe, Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk (Photo: Howard Kearley)
Firecrest, Dungeness NNR, Kent (Photo: Graham Cox)
Jay, Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk (Photo: Simon Richardson)
White-tailed Hawk, Brazil (Photo: John Anderson)
Blackcap, Landguard NR, Suffolk (Photo: Nick Brown)
Osprey, Weston Turville Reservoir, Buckinghamshire (Photo: Peter Walkden)
Spoonbill, Malta (Photo: Natalino Fenech)
Tawny Owl, Ipswich, Suffolk (Photo: Jonathan Theobald)
Black-headed Gull, Weston Turville Reservoir, Buckinghamshire (Photo: Ian Curran)
Jackdaw, Richmond Park, Greater London (Photo: Mr Clive Daelman)
