Common Tern by Andreas Gullberg

 

 

Sometimes a photo simply stops you in your tracks – and that's exactly what Andreas Gullberg's sublime Common Tern image did to several members of the BirdGuides team.

This arresting head-on capture of an adult tern set against black background makes for a simplistic yet highly effective photo, with the red bill the only discrenible colour other than blacks, whites and greys. The tern's pose is perfect, with the fish prey it is carrying being the ideal finishing touch.

Andreas must have invested quite a lot of time in perfecting this image, but it was most certainly worth the effort – this is a thoroughly deserving winner that means a tern is the subject of POTW for the second Monday in a row. Congratulations to Andreas!

 

Other notable images

 

Barrow's Goldeneye, River Laxa, Iceland (Chris Hawes).

Goosander, Porth, Glamorgan (Colin Harvey).

Squacco Heron, Pagham Harbour LNR, West Sussex (Jeremy Mcclements).

Little Egret, West Kirby, Cheshire (Pierre Montieth).

Grey Heron, Slimbridge WWT, Gloucestershire (Geoff Snowball).

Curlew Sandpiper, Digue de Piemanson, France (Sam Northwood).

Black-tailed Godwit, Frampton Marsh RSPB, Lincolnshire (Richard Pittam).

Green Sandpiper, St Ouen's Pond, Jersey (Romano Da Costa).

Wood Sandpiper, Beacon Ponds, East Yorkshire (Tom Wright).

Pacific Gull, Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania (Chris Young).

Caspian Gull, Cromer, Norfolk (Dan Owen).

Little Tern, Seaton Carew, Cleveland (Richard Pittam).

Barn Owl, Undisclosed site, England (Keith Salmon).

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