Zhai Zeyu (China) records the moment a paper wasp investigates an Eastern penduline tit nest.
On a balmy afternoon in a wetland in China’s Liaoning Province, Zhai had his camera trained from a distance on the nest of a Chinese penduline tit. Suddenly, the peace was interrupted by a loud buzzing from a paper wasp.
The penduline tit is a specialist insect eater but the paper wasp possesses a potent sting, so it’s hard to say who had the most to lose from the encounter, but this spontaneous moment made Zhai smile.
Penduline tits construct luxurious, bag-like nests, which usually hang from the ends of branches. Composed of soft vegetation and animal hair woven together with spider silk, a nest will take a pair of Eastern penduline tits about three weeks to complete.
China
Zhai was born in Dalian, a coastal city in China. His love for photography was inspired by his family, and he often goes out with his Grandpa to take photos of wildlife, particularly birds. The development of environmental conservation in China has attracted more animals to live closer to the city. Zeyu hopes this will lead to more people becoming aware of how to love and protect wildlife.
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