Cool Drink

Diana Rebman's Image

Despite the bitterly cold temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius, Diana spent hours mesmerised by what she described as the ‘well-choreographed dance’ of a group of long-tailed tits taking turns to peck at an icicle. With the fast movement of the birds and her fingers feeling like blocks of ice, capturing their behaviour was no easy task.

Long-tailed tits live across Europe and Asia. Those living in Hokkaido, Japan, are referred to locally as Shima-Enaga. Winters there are cold and snowy and the birds must nibble on snow and ice for water. They spend their days foraging for insects and spiders and their nights huddled together in small groups for warmth.


Behind the lens

Diana Rebman

Diana is an avid amateur photographer, a long-time animal advocate and a newly retired anaesthesiologist. Relatively new to photography, she began with a point-and-shoot camera in 2006, then an SLR in 2008, and quickly became hooked. Thanks to skills honed over 30 years as an anaesthesiologist, she has become an advocate for the animals she has always been so passionate about.

Image details

  • Nikon D500
  • 300mm f2.8 lens
  • 1/1600 sec at f8 (+0.3 e/v)  •   ISO 1600  •   cable release  •   Gitzo tripod + Mongoose head
  • Akan-Mashu National Park, Hokkaido, Japan
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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