Whooper lift-off - Ellen Anon - Wildlife Photographer of the Year2008

2008 Animals in their Environment - Highly Commended

Ellen Anon Click to enlarge Whooper lift-off

Ellen Anon (United States of America)

Whooper lift-off

'My fingers, double-gloved, had gone numb. Waves on Japan's Lake Kussharo, Hokkaido, were starting to freeze solid, and I was in awe that these gorgeous birds could face the water. By now, the wind had churned the lake up into white peaks that echoed the snowy mountains behind. When one swan began to taxi along the churning runway, I managed to make my frozen index finger release the shutter just before it took off.' Like its close North American relative the trumpeter swan, whooper swans are named after their distinctive loud call, heard from flocks on the water or in flight. The yellow base to their black bill typically extends to a point beyond the nostril, distinguishing them from the smaller, but otherwise similar tundra swan.

Canon EOS-1D Mark II + Canon 28-300mm f3.5-5.6 lens; 1/800 sec at f11; ISO 400.

This photograph is available to buy as a print.