Yossi Eshbol (Israel) watches as two juvenile black-winged kites attempt to grab an incoming meal.
Yossi had been sitting out the heatwave in his hide. From a distance, he’d been watching the chicks since they’d hatched 45 days ago, and this was the highest they’d flown. The chicks were in their juvenile plumage marked by rusty streaks on their heads and bodies, which fade upon reaching adulthood.
The parents of these black-winged kites were the first to nest in Israel. Since 2011 this species has spread throughout the country, breeding all year round, with possibly as many as 100 pairs now in the Hula Valley and 10 times that countrywide.
At the time Yossi took his photograph, the area was in the grip of an extreme heatwave and white clouds blanketed the sky, providing the perfect bright white backdrop to his aerobatic composition.
Israel
Yossi focuses on wildlife and bird photography. For 12 years he worked for the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel as a photographer, ornithologist and guide. Now a freelance photographer, he’s engaged in nature conservation projects in Israel. His photographs appear regularly in books and magazines in Israel and around the world. His photographs have won many awards and accolades in photography competitions.
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