Black Grouse - Tetrao tetrix
Canon 800mm f5.6 for 1/160th @ iso1250
Head down and looking to challenge this Black Grouse moves off the main lek. The sun still to come up over the hill and the grass still wet from overnight rain this impressive bird offers a few seconds of low shutter speed photography.
Often as the sun rises over the hill and the first sunlight hits the lek, it is like a switch is flicked and all "combat" ceases and with some unseen or heard signal the birds all take off at once - to forage in the heather out on the moors.
Fights between the males are usually brief and often don't involve any contact, whilst others end up with feathers being ripped out.
Head down and looking to challenge this Black Grouse moves off the main lek. The sun still to come up over the hill and the grass still wet from overnight rain this impressive bird offers a few seconds of low shutter speed photography.
Often as the sun rises over the hill and the first sunlight hits the lek, it is like a switch is flicked and all "combat" ceases and with some unseen or heard signal the birds all take off at once - to forage in the heather out on the moors.
Fights between the males are usually brief and often don't involve any contact, whilst others end up with feathers being ripped out.