Little Auk by Alick Simmons

This head-on angle on a breeding-plumaged Little Auk makes for a terrific POTW winner for Alick Simmons. As discussed in last week's column, black-and-white photography can be extremely effective and that's certainly the case here, with the auk's black head and upperside contrasting with the bright white of the sky (and those white 'eyebrows'). This colour scheme, in combination with the arresting pose, which has caught the fast-moving auk in a sharp, symmetrical posture, makes for a very memorable photo. Such head-on shots are testament to the rapid auto-focus systems that modern cameras have but despite the advances made in this department, this is still far from an easy shot to nail. Well done to Alick!

Other notable images

Tufted Duck, Storsjö, Jämtlands län (Andreas Gullberg).

Northern Gannet, Bempton Cliffs RSPB, East Yorkshire (Robert Kitchen).

Great Northern Diver, South Uist, Outer Hebrides (Glyn Sellors).

Common Redshank, Dingle Marshes SWT, Suffolk (Neil Loverock).

Little Gull, Storsjö, Jämtlands län (Andreas Gullberg).

White-winged Tern, Druridge Pools, Northumberland (Frank Golding).

Sand Martin, Stanpit Marsh, Dorset (Scott Usher).

Swallow, Marloes, Pembrokeshire (Carl Bovis).

Snow Bunting, Cairn Gorm, Highland (Peregrine Rowse).

Goldfinch, Llandudno, Conwy (Bob Garrett).

Goldfinch, Bristol, Somerset & Bristol (Jean Tye).

Dickcissel, Hastings, Nebraska, United States (Brian Avent).