Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Jesse Ritonen (Finland)

Inquisitive jay

Last January, on his tenth birthday, Jesse received what he had been wanting since he was seven - an SLR digital camera. In February, his father took him for a couple of days to a hide in Utti, Finland, to photograph birds. Jesse has been interested in wildlife since he could first walk, and so this was a very special trip for him. The weather was overcast, but several jays, crows and two goshawks visited them. This jay came in the early morning and perched on the snowy branch of a pine tree opposite, staring directly into Jesse's camera. 'I was so excited,' says Jesse, 'to have such long eye-contact with a wild bird.'

Nikon D70 with Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 ED VR lens and 2x teleconverter; 1/320 sec at f5.6; tripod, hide.