Marc Costermans’s Image
Marc Costermans (Belgium) finds a male black grouse hopping on the spot against the rising Scandinavian sun.
Marc camped out in the snow for five nights to ensure he was in position at sunrise to get the picture he’d envisaged.
Lying on his belly, he waited, hoping that one of the 15 black grouse would move into line with the sun.
An hour later, one obliged.
Male black grouse have blue-black iridescent plumage. As they raise their tails, they reveal brilliant white covert feathers.
For a few weeks in spring, they congregate at sites called leks to compete for dominance.