Aleksander Myklebust's Image

Aleksander spent 10 nights inside a hide to get this shot - his personal interpretation of lekking (displaying) black grouse.

The lek takes place every spring near his home in Ringsaker in Norway. The male black grouse, large chicken-sized birds, set up camp in small territories and, in the early morning, display to females, who come to watch and judge. That requires photographers to be in their hides before dawn. Neighbouring grouse often spar, and these two cocks were approaching over the snow, preparing to fight, one 'yelling' at the other. Aleksander deliberately framed the picture in a way that would symbolize the birds' sense of territory.