Brown Birds (in colour)

A tiny bird, but it certainly packs a punch in this image. The pose is great, balancing stop the split wooden post, singing for all its worth. I love the clarity of the subject, captured with a long lens and wide aperture to create a shallow depth of field, rendering the background a blur of natural colours to allow the little wren to really stand out. A beautiful image, well done on your top ten placing.

I love the mood conveyed in this image. There appears to be a lovely sense of calm as this mighty bird rests in the woodland, in stark contrast to many images we see of birds of prey where we see these birds with captive prey or actively on the hunt before going in to attack. I like that you have captured some of the surroundings; pleasingly out of focus so as not to detract from the subject, but still giving a real sense of the natural surroundings. Colours look nice and natural, with the rich brown plumage standing out against the green of the vegetation. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

I am unsure whether this image is a constructed composite or shot as seen, but it drew my eye and either way, I felt it deserved to be placed. Where I think it is especially successful is the similarities in the colours and patterns between the bark and the feathers, although we also know one would be rough and hard to the touch, whilst the other would be smooth and soft. Considering the bird alone, it is well captured, in a restful pose looking directly at the camera. Congratulations on your third place finish.

A gorgeous image of a beautiful little bird. I love the contrast between the bright frosty grass and the rich dark plumage of the bird, which really makes it stand out. Compisition works really well, classically placed on the left third lind and looking into the frame works really well. Plenty of little details for the eye to explore, from the beads of water on the blades of grass to the speckled plumage of the bird. Congratulations on your second place finish.

It is easy to be wowed by images of powerful brird of prey, but this image of a more lowly dove really caught my eye. I love the composition and framing, with the bird large enough to see plenty of detail in the face and plumage, but not so close as to look cropped off with no "breathing space". I like that you have been able to position the bird against a lighter part of ted background, which helps the subject really stand out. The colouring throughout has a lovely warmth, but looks natural and in keeping with the natural subject. Congratulations on your winning image.