2007: The Eric Hosking Portfolio Award - Winner
Bence Máté (Hungary)
Grey heron mugging
'In winter, competition for food on Lake Csaj in Hungary is fierce. I concentrated on one young heron that was very good at fishing. Every time it caught a fish, it was mugged by another heron. This made a good photo, but was hard to watch.' Hungary is one of the biggest nesting sites for grey herons in central Europe. They nest in large groups, usually in tall woodland trees. To overcome competition for food, they are versatile hunters and have been recorded not only eating fish but other birds such as blackbirds and starlings, sometimes caught mid-flight.
Canon EOS 300D + Nikon 300mm f2.8 lens and EOS Nikon converter; 1/1000 sec at f2.8; tripod; hide.
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