2005: 15-17 Years - Highly Commended Print
Mateusz Kowalski (Poland)
White-winged tern parent and chick
The year 2004 was a bumper one for white-winged terns - rare long-distance migrants - that nested in large numbers on the Biebrzanski National Park in north-eastern Poland. Mateusz noticed several chicks sitting in the middle of a small track in the marshes, squawking for food. Occasionally, an adult would oblige and swoop down to pop a grub into an open beak. But some of the chicks lost patience with the slow service. 'They hopped up onto the posts along the side of the road, from where they could demand food from their parents more effectively,' says Mateusz. He watched for a while to work out a composition and then returned the next day in camouflage gear. 'But to get the shot I wanted wasn't easy, and I took loads of pictures before I got two birds in the right position.'
Canon EOS 1D mark II with Canon 300mm f2.8 lens and 2x teleconverter; 1/1250 sec at f5.6; 200 ISO.
View other winners in this category
-
Young awards Chimpanzee meditation Matthew Burrard-lucas
View
-
Young awards Blue dasher Nicholas Murphy
View
-
Young awards Owl landing Mateusz Kowalski
View
Search the online gallery
Enter a keyword to search for images from the 2005 competition
Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year is co-owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide.
All intellectual property rights in the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition images are retained by the photographer. Any reproduction of the images without prior written consent will constitute an actionable infringement. For information regarding permission to use competition images please email us.