Naidu Kumapatla, The Weed Dance (Animal & Nature 2021)

In spring, displaying great crested grebes put on a spectacular display, facing each other, the grebes flick their heads from side to side or slide towards each other, low in the water. The climax of their ritual is the weed dance in which both birds, holding tufts of water weeds in their bills, paddle furiously to maintain an upright position chest to chest; an unforgettable sight and an impressive display.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.