Eurasian Starling Sturnus vulgaris. Negev Desert, Israel.
Photographer: Chris Gomersall, United Kingdom. Category: Garden and Urban Birds. HONOURABLE MENTION.
Photographer’s Story: ‘Having spent the day watching and photographing a large flock of Starlings feeding at a landfill site in the Negev Desert, some friends and I tried to predict where they might go to roost that night. We ended up at a power station near Be’er Sheva close to dusk, just in time to witness this pre-roost gathering. I barely had time to leap out of the car and grab a couple of shots before the birds moved on somewhere else. I chose to convert the image to black and white in post-production, to emphasise its graphic qualities.’
Nikon D4S with Nikon 200-400mm f/4 AF-S VR lens. 200mm focal length; 1/640 second; f/5.6; ISO 400. Handheld.
