Photo of the Year 2009: Gannet tenderness

[Jiri Slama]

Shooting data: Canon brand: 5DII, 500mm F4.0 lens, 1/640, F9.0, ISO 500, handheld, manual exposure

From this year trip to Bass Rock in Scotland, life-experience in the largest world gannetry. Some pairs hatched chicks by the time of our visit the other pairs played nice love-games, present-giving, cheek-to cheek (beak-to-beak) dances and finally mating. Hope you like the photo. The trip is strongly recommended!!!

Jirka

[Juza]

Lovely photo! I really like the composition and the action, a first rate behavioral photo!

[francesco sestili]

Splendid detail, moment and composition.

[Vellu]

Just amazing, i have always wanted to see these bird in nature. Love your photo, keep up the good work!

[manos]

beautiful moment!!!

[John Miller]

This is an EXCELLENT shot, IMO! The subdued colors in the birds and the background are marvelous. The detail is crisp, and the moment you captured is simply precious! One of the best I've seen. You've got my vote for POTW!

[Eclipse]

I love it... The sharpness the cleanness of the background but the action is just amazing really just brings out everything that you would want from any wildlife shot.

[Jiri Slama]

Thanks a lot to all of you. It has been some time since I was here last time as spring and summer is always busy time. The trip to Bass Rock was the best spectacle from this season - for you who love birds this is one of the world wonders and a must-see!
Being in Gannet colony is amazing experience but can be a bit distracting for the photography - you gotta keep an eye on a details rather than the whole scene that encompasses many birds...but the details are amazing indeed! You can just stay in one place and watch one pair for hours. The only drawback is that the locality is only accessible by boat and you stay at the island for 4.5 hours at maximum and it also costs something. In spite of this, as I said earlier, this trip is strongly recommended!

[Jon]

Jiri, I visited Bass Rock about 15 years ago and I always said I would return, your image has reinforced that resolution. It is an excellent image - well done

Jon

[Jiri Slama]

Hi Jon, the trips have changed during last years a bit - but everything for the good of the birds. Some years ago the visitors could approach even the nesting birds and birds with chicks very closely - I have seen some shots on the web made with wide-angle lens that must have been taken from as close as 1 meter or less! I have read that the photographers sometimes got pecked by the adults and thats no wonder! Fortunately the rules are more strict these days and visitors are kind of "fenced" from the birds by the rope and the nesting birds are specially protected from being disturbed. These beauties do not have easy life - as the temperatures of waters change, the fish stocks move and birds have to search more for the food. I have heard somewhere that some Gannets from bass Rock were even traced here by the Norwegian coast where they dived for the fishes!
...
anyway, Bass Rock is incredible place, We were supposed to spend there 4.5 hour but the strong winds forced us out 2 hours earlier which was bit sad...

[Juza]

Congratulations medaacek! This photo has been chosen as "Birds and Wildlife" Photo of the week 27/07/09-02/08/09 !

[manos]

Congratulations medaacek!

[mackay123]

beautiful and very well deserved!!!

[William]

A superb image. Big congrats on POTW!!!

[Blueripper]

Congrats on POTW, wonderful shot!