2008: Behaviour: Birds - Highly Commended
Bence Máté (Hungary)
Black grouse dawn show
'I was in Finland and for three hours, along with a handful of nonchalant female grouse, watched four males strut, march, fluff, flutter, flounce, shimmy, sashay, “roo-roo-roo”, leap and fight to be judged as the fittest, most promising, most mateable male. The females weren't so impressed: none of them mated.' In the spring dawn, male black grouse all over Europe put on a fabulous courtship display. They strut around, leaping and fighting while singing a distinctive courting song. But despite their best attempts, black grouse are on the decline in western Europe to the point of being extinct in many parts of England. Conservation groups are trying to save and re-introduce the species.
Nikon D200 + Sigma 300-800mm f5.6 lens; 1/640 sec at f7.1; ISO 400; beanbag.
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