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Yossi Eshbol's Image
Black-winged stilts epitomize elegance, which helps explain why Yossi has been photographing them for more than 20 years.
This picture is his all-time favourite, aesthetically but also because of the tender moment it shows. It was taken close to Yossi's home at salt ponds in Atlit. The stilts have learnt to nest offshore, away from predators, building their nests out of salt crystals, which they scoop up from the bottom. As soon as the chicks hatch, they start feeding, looking for tiny crabs and other small water animals. Here the mother has called her newly hatched chicks back to the nest at sunset so they can dry out and warm up under her wings, alongside the egg she is still incubating.
Behind the lens
Yossi Eshbol
Israel
Yossi focuses on wildlife and bird photography. For 12 years he worked for the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel as a photographer, ornithologist and guide. Now a freelance photographer, he’s engaged in nature conservation projects in Israel. His photographs appear regularly in books and magazines in Israel and around the world. His photographs have won many awards and accolades in photography competitions.
Image details
- Nikon D300
- 600mm f4 lens
- 1/800 sec at f6.3 (-1.7 e/v) • ISO 200 • tripod
- Salt Ponds, Atlit, Israel
Copyright in WPY competition photographs remains the property of the respective photographers. You may not copy, share, reproduce or republish the photographs except as expressly permitted by copyright law. For media image usage enquiries, please contact us.
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