British Birds
VOLUME 8 3
NUMBER 9
SEPTEMBER 1 9 9 0
Best recent black-and-white
bird photographs
T
his year, we have enjoyed an excellent entry of 140 black-and-white
pictures submitted by 18 photographers. From this impressive
collection, we have chosen 15 pictures for inclusion in this feature.
It is fitting that we should start with four pictures taken by Dr Kevin
Carlson on his usual summer stamping ground of Portugal. All of them
are in his typical style, capturing superb images of small birds near, but
not at, the nest. The first of these classic Carltons is of a Black-eared
Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica (plate 210) which has posed most cooperatively. Black-masked or black-capped birds with black eyes and no
catchlight can appear eyeless, if not lifeless, but not Kevin's wheatear.
There follow two pictures of Spectacled Warblers Sylvia conspicillata. This
species is not an easy subject, especially when it comes to showing the
male and female individually with such clarity (plates 221 & 220). To
round off his selection is a photograph of a male Melodious Warbler
Hippolais polyghtta singing (plate 222) which is peerless and displays to
perfection all the hallmarks of a Carlson. Although we are sure that he will
[Brit. Binls 83:343-352, September 1990]
343
344
Best recent black-and-white birdphotographs
hate to be reminded of it, this selection brings Kevin's total to 28 pictures
during the last 28 years, a feat unequalled by any other photographer;
furthermore, the Melodious and Spectacled Warblers are new species to
this feature.
Hans Gebuis from the Netherlands, whose first selection appeared last
year, submitted an entry of 12 pictures, from which our choice is his Quail
Coturnix coturnix (plate 211): a fine photograph, which shows the details of
the Quail's plumage particularly well,
Tony Hamblin is no stranger to these pages, and this year we have
selected pictures of Eider Somateria mollissima (plate 213) and Marsh Tit
Parus palustris (plate 224) from his entry of seven prints. Oddly enough,
neither species has been included in this feature before. It would be hard
to imagine a better photograph of the latter, superbly caught, catchlight
and all.
Harold Grenfell rivals Kevin C4arlson in having four prints selected:
indeed, Harold has now had a total of 23 black-and-whites included since
1967. This year's quartet are of Wigeons Anas penelope on the mud of an
estuary (plate 212); a very well-shown Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis on
estuarine saltings (plate 223); a magnificent shot of a roosting Green
Sandpiper Tringa ochropus lit by the evening sun (plate 216); and another of
the same species wading (plate 219).
Next, we have a fine photograph of a juvenile Sabine's Gull Larus sabini
(plate 218) taken at Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire, by Steve Young,
whose work has appeared in this annual selection twice before.
No stranger either is Martin Withers, who this year gives us a very
typical picture of Shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis at the nest (plate 215).
Presumably it is a hot day and the Shags are panting to keep cool.
Another regular contributor is Dennis Green, from whose entry we
selected his print of a pair of Choughs Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax feeding their
young at the nest in a copper mine in Gwynedd (plate 214). It is always
pleasing to get both parents at the nest at the same time, and these are
particularly well shown.
We conclude with a superb photograph of a Greenshank Tringa nebularia
(plate 217) taken in the Netherlands by Mike Weston, who is a welcome
newcomer to this feature.
Obviously, black-and-white bird photography is alive and well. We
thank all who took the time and trouble to submit work and congratulate
those whose prints were selected.
We should like to take this opportunity to remind all nestphotographers of the requirements of the Wildlife and Countryside Act
(1981).
R.
J.
CHANDLER,
ERIC H O S K I N G , J.
T.
R. S H A R R O C K
and D O N S M I T H
210. Black-eared Wheatear Oemnthe hispanica, Portugal.June 1989 (Kevin Carlson)(Nikon F501;
500 mm Novoflex; Ilford FP4)
211. Quail Coturnix coturnix, Netherlands, June 1989 (Hans G>6ais)(Pentax LX; 600 mm;
Kodak T-max 100)
212. Wigeons Anas penelope, West Glamorgan, September 1989 (HamldE. Grenfelt) (Nikon F301; 300 mm
Nikkor; Word XP1)
213. Eider Somateria mollissima and young, Northumberland, June 1989 (Tony Hamblin)(Canon T90; 500
mm f4 Canon; Ilford XP1)
214. Pair of Choughs Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax feeding large young at nest in a copper mine, Gwynedd,
May 1989 (Dennis Green) (Olympus OM2N; 70-210 mm Tamron zoom; Ilford FP4)
215. Shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis, Craigleith, Firth of Forth, July 1989 (Martin B. Withers)(M.am\ya 645;
210 mm Sekor: Ilford FP4)
216. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus roosting, West Glamorgan, July 1989 (Harold E. Grenfell) (Nikon
F301; 300 mm Nikkor; Ilford XP1)
217. Greenshank Tringa nebularia, Netherlands, May 1989 (Mike Wfoton)(Canon Al; 600 mm Canon;
Ilford FP4)
218. Juvenile Sabine's Gull Lams sabini, Cambridgeshire, October 1987 (Steve Founf)(Nikon FM2; 600
mm Nikkor; Ilford XP1)
219. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus, West Glamorgan, August 1989 (Harold E. Gren/e//) (Nikon F301;
300 mm Nikkor; Ilford XP1)
220. Female Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicilkta, Portugal, May 1989 {Kevin Carlson) (Nikon F501; 70210 mm Nikkor AF zoom; Ilford FP4)
221. Male Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicilkta, Portugal, May 1989 (Kevin Carton)(Nikon F501; 70120 mm Nikkor AF room; Ilford FP4)
222. Melodious Warbler Hippolms polyglotta, Portugal, May 1989 (Kevin Carlson) (Nikon FE2; 600 mm
Novoflex; Ilford FP4)
223. Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis, West Glamorgan, May 1989 (Harold E. Grenfelt)(Nikon F301; 300
mm Nikkor + 1.4 converter; Ilford XP1)
224. Marsh Tit Parus palustris, Warwickshire, February 1988 (Tony Hamblin)(Olympus OM2N; 85-250
Zuiko zoom; Ilford XP1)