A new book is celebrating some of the best bird photography of the year so far, and The Guardian has some excellent images from the collection.
In one photo, two common coots (Fulica atra) fight over territory, with the backdrop beautifully illuminated by dawn sunlight.
Australian photographer Bret Charman describes one of his photos from the book: “I was photographing Australian pelicans (Pelicanus conspicillatus) on the edge of a small mangrove swamp – they were resting in the calm, shallow waters and the soft evening light was providing the perfect conditions to capture reflections. I was photographing a portrait of an individual when I heard the wing beats of another bird coming into land and took this snap.”