As a judge, you always have to have the category brief at the forefront of your mind when going through the entries, of which there were a good number in this contest. Many of the entries were beautiful photographs, but did not really feature behaviour as the central theme; not the case with this image. Technically, this photograph is very solid and the post-processing is skilled, the cool tones perfect for the environment where this species is found. It is the timing of this image that is the thing which makes it a winner; it is almost s if the eider had taken on too much and the urchin is getting stuck in its throat. The extended tongue adds that extra bit of drama and interest for the viewer. I’m left asking whether the eider eventually managed to enjoy its meal, or whether its attempt had to be abandoned – it’s not something I’d like to try and swallow whole! A perfect example of a photograph which is all about the behaviour on display.

To capture a decent image of mating birds is quite tricky. Perhaps it's the rather voyeuristic intrusion into the moment that makes it difficult to pull off. This image really captures the moment, is very skillfully taken and shows great behaviour. It's technically very accomplished with the right balance of shutter speed and aperture so all the right things are sharp. But, it's the colour of the background that really makes it pop out of the screen at you, complementing some of the warm tones of the birds' plumage so beautifully. Nicely done.