2007: The Eric Hosking Portfolio Award - Winner
Bence Máté (Hungary)
Warbler and its cuckoo
'I was up to my chest in water, watching a pair of reed warblers desperately trying to fill the belly of the young chick they thought was theirs. It wasn't. It was a cuckoo. This massive chick, by the Pacsmag fish-ponds in western Hungary, was fed every 10 minutes or so, but still it begged for more.' Cuckoos thrive in Hungary. A single pair can lay up to 30 eggs each season in the nests of other birds. When the single chick hatches, its first job is to push any other eggs out of the nest. This makes sure it has the undivided attention of its adoptive parents.
Nikon D200 + Nikon MF 300mm f2.8 lens and Nikon TC-301 extender; 1/1000 sec at f5.6; tripod; hide.
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