Black Tern by Paul Slade

The past week has produced an excellent (if late) passage of Black Terns in many areas, with good numbers of these delightful waterbirds appearing at both coastal and inland sites. Although numbers have been high, getting quality images of this species is always a challenge. More often than not, they're out feeding in the middle of a large waterbody such as a reservoir, while their acrobatic twists and turns, dips and dives makes it a challenge for both the photographer and their camera's autofocus alike to keep track of the subject.

Anyone who has spent time trying to photograph Black Terns in Britain, then, will be able to appreciate the quality of this shot by Paul Slade. Not only has Paul enjoyed a relatively close view, but he's executed a terrific image as the bird opens its bill to snap a Mayfly snack. The hapless insect can be seen on the left-hand side of the photo as the tern homes in on its prey. Despite the dull light, Paul has frozen the action and has exposed the bird well. Congratulations!

Other notable images

Barrow's Goldeneye, Laxá, Iceland (Dave Jackson).

Little Grebe, Cromford, Derbyshire (Clive Daelman).

Black Guillemot, Portpatrick, Dumfries & Galloway (Morgan Stephenson).

Ringed Plover, Pennington Marshes, Hampshire (Matthew Barfield).

Avocet, Blacktoft Sands RSPB, East Yorkshire (Glyn Sellors).

Red-footed Falcon, Kecskemet, Southern Great Plain (David Naylor).

Golden Oriole, Bardsey Island, Gwynedd (Edward Betteridge).

Grey-headed Wagtail, Fair Isle, Shetland (Alex Penn).

Red-rumped Wheatear, Tagdilt Track, Morocco (Mark ferris).

Lesser Grey Shrike, Shabla, Dobrich (Scott Duckworth).

Red-backed Shrike, Lesvos, North Aegean (Tony Davison).

Marsh Warbler, Chapel Six Marshes, Lincolnshire (Mark Johnson).

Wood Warbler, Trefriw, Conwy (Bob Garrett).