2008: Behaviour: Birds - Highly Commended
Andy Rouse (UK)
Love branch
'Sex for a stick seemed to be the deal in Finland. It's rare enough to see ospreys mating, never mind photograph them. So to witness such intimate sexual politics was a triumph. Every time the male offered the female a twig, she would mate with him. But if he came home with moss, she wouldn't.' Ospreys build their nests at the tops of trees or rocky outcrops along coasts, all over the world. Nests are used year after year by pairs of ospreys who usually mate for life. When the pair are building a nest the male offers the female a present, such as a twig, to encourage her to mate with him.
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II + 300mm f2.8 IS lens; 1/250 sec at f4; ISO 400; Gitzo 1548 tripod + Wimberley head.
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Adult awards Clash of eagles Antoni Kasprzak
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Adult awards Getting stuck in Brian Matthews
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Adult awards Osprey snatch Paul Hobson
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Adult awards Sandpiper congregation Arthur Morris
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Adult awards Starling genie Barış Koca
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Adult awards Hoopoe delivery Ramon Navarro
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Adult awards Black grouse dawn show Bence Máté
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