Nature’s BEST
Patience and silence are part of the arsenal of Bird Photographer of the Year 2022 winners
“In order to see birds, it is necessary to become part of the silence.” the Irish writer Robert Lynd wrote in his book Solomon In All His Glory in 1922. “No impatient man has ever seen nature,” he wrote.
These few words are a glimpse into the mindset of a bird photographer: patience and a willingness to become part of the landscape, melding into the shadows so as not to alert the subject to the camera’s presence.
Every one of the photographers who submitted more than 20,000 images in total to the 2022 Bird Photographer of the Year competition would have attempted to become part of that silence.
Patience and quiet are just a part of the photographer’s arsenal, which also includes technological skill, creative ambition and singlemindedness to follow an idea to its end, even if that means hiking across mountains, enduring sub-zero temperatures and waiting for the perfect moment to make an awardwinning shot.
The winning photographs for this globally respected photographic competition have been announced, with winners, second and third places awarded in eight adult categories. All awarded images are published in a hardback coffee-table book published by William Collins with a foreword by naturalist and TV explorer Steve Backshall.
Here is a selection of winners with the photographer’s description of how they took their award-winning picture.
Overall winner and birds in the environment category winner Erlend Haarberg of Norway for his rock ptarmigan in flight
“High above the tree-line, the wind, snow and cold maintain the iron grip of winter for months on end. This is where rock ptarmigan thrive, small, white feather balls in an endless white landscape. On this particular winter day, I was on my way to a mountain top by Tysfjorden to photograph landscapes. I had almost reached the summit when I spotted some ptarmigan tracks criss-crossing between the rocks, where the wind had uncovered some sparse vegetation. From behind a rock, a small head appeared, and seconds later it took to the wing with the mountains and fjord landscape in the background, setting the scene perfectly.”
Best portrait winner Ly Dang of Colorado, US for his sage grouse
“You know springtime has arrived on the prairies of the Great Basin of the American West when the sage grouse gather at their leks. On these traditional display grounds, males of this near-threatened species perform their strutting displays in the hope of winning the right to mate. This behaviour is for the benefit of the females, which judge the talent show and select the best genes to pass on to the next generation. I arrived at the lek more than an hour before the birds so I could set up my hide without causing a disturbance. Similarly, with the best interests of the birds at heart, I packed up the hide only when the last bird had left the area. In previous years I had tried to capture this type of portrait shot but had been unsuccessful. However, on this particular morning, my luck changed when this bird wandered close to my hide in full display. The photograph was taken without using baiting, calls, lures or unethical practices of any kind.”
Creative imagery category winner Petro Katernych of Ukraine for his storks
“In Ukrainian mythology, white storks symbolise faithfulness and strength of spirit. It is hard to imagine a Ukrainian village without a stork’s nest. Everywhere, from Polesia to Slobozhanshchyna, white storks are seen as a symbol of love for their motherland. When spring arrives and storks return home, Ukrainians young and old go out into the streets, greet the birds’ arrival and sing traditional songs called Vesnyanki in celebration. Ukrainians cherish spring, which brings prosperity and hope, and we feel that happiness will undoubtedly bless any house where a stork settles and decides to nest. Storks also set a good example and serve to remind Ukrainians how important it is to love our homeland. They fly thousands of kilometres to warmer lands when there is a bitter winter. But they always come back, overcoming all the hardships that beset them on their journey. We believe that love for their native land gives the storks the strength to survive and return home. Ukrainians don’t traditionally give birds and animals human names. However, an exception is made with white storks, which are addressed as if they were people. My fellow Ukrainians are facing a similarly challenging task right now — once again they must defend their native nests, while some are forced to rush like storks in the direction of the sun. Many of us will fall, but I hope that spring is ahead of us. I believe that most of us will live to see the return of white storks circling overhead in the peaceful skies of a free Ukraine. Then we will all rally together, and sing Vesnyanki once more.”
9-13 years category winner Parham Pourahmad of the US for her hummingbird
“In Fremont, there is a water fountain that is a hotspot for hummingbirds. The birds like to bathe in the water, or in this case catch and sip the droplets. When the birds fly around among the droplets, it provides great opportunities for photography. I had to use a very fast shutter speed to freeze the water droplets and the wings of this Anna’s hummingbird.”
See the full gallery of winners and order the book at birdpoty.com