Red Knot by Sean Gray

High-tide wader flocks are a spectacular sight no matter what the weather or time of day, but put a massed group in front of a gloriously orange sunset and you have this week’s beautiful winning photo by Sean Gray.

Shooting into the sun means silhouetted birds, but this can be very effective in its own way, as is seen from this capture, where exposing for the birds would bleach out the sunset. Identification of individual birds is impossible, but it doesn’t matter as this type of shot is all about the movement and shape of the flock in the setting.

Congratulations to Sean on his photo, taken with a 500 mm lens at 1/1,250th sec, f9, on ISO 250.

Other notable images

Northern Gannet, Shetland (Baz Scampion).

Sanderling, Norfolk (Neil Rendall).

Dotterel, Kent (Lee Gregory).

Cory's Shearwater, Scilly pelagic (Joe Pender).

Water Rails, Staffordshire (Annette Phillips).

Green Sandpiper, Gloucestershire (Jon Mercer).

Little Owl, South Yorkshire (Pete Garrity).

Leucistic Sandwich Tern, Lancashire (John Tymon).

Spotted Owlet, Thailand (Steve Nesbitt).

Common Sandpiper, Lincolnshire (Oliver Woodman).

• 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.