Pied Wagtail by Rob Holmes
What a lovely "aahh" shot by Rob Holmes of a Pied Wagtail feeding its young; the prey makes the shot much more interesting, being either a Common Blue or Azure Damselfly.
This image was taken at the excellent Cley Marshes reserve in Norfolk, where sitting in one of the many hides can be rewarding if long enough is spent patiently waiting to see what happens. The photographer has grabbed his opportunity with both hands and captured one of those moments that happens all the time but is difficult to portray successfully.
Usually one of the heads is at the wrong angle, sometimes the eyes are closed or the face is in shadow of the feeding adult. But on this occasion everything has worked out perfectly, with the young Pied Wagtail eagerly awaiting a nice juicy feed at eye level to the lens and a nice green background to set it all off.
Congratulations to Rob, who used a 500 mm lens and shot at 1/250th second at f5.6 on ISO 200, on his winning capture.
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
Cuckoo, undisclosed site, Suffolk (Photo: John Dickenson)
Amur Falcon, Qatar (Photo: Gavin Farnell)
Dipper, Rum, Highland (Photo: Nigel Taylor)
Little Owl, undisclosed site, Oxfordshire (Photo: Jim Hutchins)
House Sparrow, Alderholt, Dorset (Photo: Craig Richardson)
Great Spotted Woodpecker, undisclosed site, Nottinghamshire (Photo: Ray Hall)
Treecreeper, Saxmundham, Suffolk (Photo: Charles Cuthbert)
Tawny Owl, Bourne, Lincolnshire (Photo: Jamie MacArthur)
Common Redstart, Thursley Common, Surrey (Photo: Brian Anderson)
Black-winged Stilt, Ouse Washes RSPB, Cambridgeshire (Photo: Dennis Morrison)
Grey Wagtail, Langsett Reservoir, South Yorkshire (Photo: Richard Laverack)
