PHOTO CALL OF
Irish snapper wins top award with image of squabbling birds taken in his garden
IT may not be one of the natural world’s most breathtaking duels but this image of two squabbling finches in Galway has won a major international wildlife award.
And photographer Des Glynn, 53, did not have to travel the globe in search of the perfect snap – he simply opened up his back door.
The lab assistant, from Claregalway, said: “It was taken in my garden where I have set up some bird feeders which allows me to get great shots of these beautiful little birds. The greenfinches did not like Bear in Finland by Bjorn Stuedhal any other birds getting in the way to grabbing a peanut and would fight them off. This gave me the opportunity to capture this image of the fighting finches.”
His picture was one of hundreds of stunning images submitted to the Wild World competition, run by the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers.
Chief Phil Jones said: “Des’ image perfectly captures the theme of the competition. It has great composition and is superbly sharp for such a dramatic moment.” Osprey with its kill by Pranab Basak Others entrants included shots of a tense stand-off between a bison and a stag, which came in second place.
Romanian snapper Diana Buzoianu took the picture of the head-to-head during a visit to Buzau forest.
The 43-year-old said: “I was thrilled to be able to see these majestic animals whilst travelling in Romania.
“With a well-equipped car for extreme weather conditions we decided to sleep in the wilderness and in doing so to see the unprecedented beauty of some of my motherland.
“After a cold night at -11 degrees our morning was blessed with a fresh snowfall – perfect weather for photography.
“The bison was trying to get food off the deer. Although just a little banter, the expression and the intensity of their gazes at each other was something worth watching.
“It looked like a male training or a bit of a show-off in front of their females.”
In third place was an osprey with its kill taken in the wetland of Purbasthali in West Bengal, India, by Pranab Basak. The 47-year-old amateur photographer said: “The Osprey is a very clever and fast hunter. After catching the fish, they tear off the head and fly to a safe area to feed.”
Staying in West Bengal, an eyecatching picture of a Red Ghost Crab was taken on Tajpur beach by Achintya Adhikari from Kolkata.
To get the highly commended shot, the 31-year-old had to lie in the wet sand for two hours and balance the camera on his hat to keep it dry.
Achintya said: “I always love to take a ground level shot of this beauty, but it is not at all easy for this crab. Any vibration in terms of walking or