Swallow by Tony Webb

It was a week with an array of magnificent uploads to the BirdGuides gallery, with several contributions that could easily have won Photo of the Week. However, Tony Webb's beautiful image of a hunting Swallow over a ripening barley field felt particularly seasonal and is a scene that many of us will have enjoyed in recent days. Swallows are at the peak of rearing broods currently, with the adults frenetically feeding in order to keep up with the demand of their offspring.

We all know how quick (and erratic!) Swallows can be as they dance over fields in this way, and so for Tony to have caught this on camera – and particularly so at the 'point of impact' with an unfortunate fly – shows great photographic skill. When you add in the Swallow's great pose and the swaying barley heads complementing the scene, this makes for a superb summer winner. Well done to Tony!

Other notable images

Red-tailed Shrike, Bempton Cliffs RSPB, East Yorkshire (Andrew Jordan).

Common Swift, Pennington Marshes, Hampshire (Matthew Barfield).

Common Swift, Loscoe Dam, Derbyshire (Robert Booth).

Grey Phalarope, undisclosed site, Orkney (David @theHALLofEINAR).

Eurasian Spoonbill, Potteric Carr YWT, South Yorkshire (Graeham Mounteney).

Mediterranean Gull, Swanage, Dorset (Tony Davison).

Bearded Tit, Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk (Nick Brown).

Common Buzzard, undisclosed site, Wiltshire (Geoff Snowball).

Northern Gannet, Bempton Cliffs RSPB, East Yorkshire (Dean Eades).

Northern Gannet, Bempton Cliffs RSPB, East Yorkshire (Rajiv Hasan).

European Bee-eater, Trimingham, Norfolk (John Richardson).