Great Shearwater by Scott Reid

Great Shearwater is one of the top targets for birders and photographers alike on the Scilly pelagics, and the BirdGuides gallery is always enrichened by an array of fine images taken each year of this species. Thus, it takes something a little different to really capture our collective eye – and that's exactly what Scott Reid's beautiful image does.

While caught in a great pose – slightly angled but still in profile enough to see all the features you'd want to see on the upper side of a Great Shear – it's the wonderful sea state that makes this such a striking photo.

Flat-calm conditions off Scilly are unusual enough at this time of year and the attractive blend of soft greys, pastel blues and lavender, coupled with a mirror-like sea surface, makes for a truly wonderful backdrop. And, when you add one of the North Atlantic's best seabirds to the mix, you're undoubtedly on to a winner. Congratulations to Scott on this brilliant image!

Other notable images

Great Egret, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland (Chris Barlow).

Purple Heron, Durleigh Reservoir, Somerset & Bristol (Carl Bovis).

Pomarine Skua, Scilly pelagic, Isles of Scilly (Joe Pender).

European Storm Petrel, Scilly pelagic, Isles of Scilly (Scott Reid).

Wood Sandpiper, Cheddar Reservoir, Somerset & Bristol (Neil Hilton).

Gull-billed Tern, Alton Water, Suffolk (Garth Peacock).

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

Little Gull, Attenborough NR, Nottinghamshire (Neil Loverock).

Green Bee-eater, Gujarat, India (Manish Panchal).

Willow Warbler, Fair Isle, Shetland (Daniel Gornall).

Pied Flycatcher, Spurn YWT, East Yorkshire (Tom Hines).

Herald, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire (Peter Beesley).