Wagtail battles itself in award-winning photo

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.