You talking to me? This grey wagtail is
squaring up to itself in a car's wing mirror, demonstrating how highly
territorial its species can be.
The photograph, taken by Robin Orrow, won the Animal Behaviour category in this year's British Wildlife Photography Awards.
The image shows a momentary flurry of
activity, but took much effort to capture after Orrow noticed the bird
attacking his car's wing mirror in front of his house.
"He was clearly defending his territory
against what he thought was a rival," Orrow says. "Every time he
attacked, it took a split second, and then he finished off with a quick
poo on my car."
Orrow, an amateur wildlife photographer,
didn't let the bird's filthy finishing touch put him off the opportunity
to capture a stunning image. He set up a portable hide and even moved
the vehicle to get the light right. He then took several hundred shots
over a period of nearly two days before the bird lost interest in its
reflection.
The grey wagtail's efforts were equally fruitful, Orrow says – the bird went on to successfully rear a clutch of little ones.
