This week Nick Watmough, fresh from his travels, peruses the early spring selection of photos and chooses a worthy winner from a fantastic collection.

“ Whilst your POTW adjudicator was freezing his socks off in Estonia warm air from the Sahara reached Cornwall. This was accompanied by a significant arrival of southern migrants offering some great photographic opportunities. The headline act was a striking Ashy-headed Wagtail at Pendeen ably captured by Nigel Rogers, Steve Rogers and Bob Bosisto. Support came in the form of a significant influx of Hoopoes with multiple images submitted to the sightings page of birds on the ground (Gill Fisher, Paul Freestone, David White & Steven Wood) and in flight (Nigel Rogers and Steve Rogers). Elsewhere a Little Ringed Plover on the Hayle was photographed by John Sanderson and Steve Cox.

There were also some quality submissions of less rare species. Notably a graceful portrait of a Great Crested Grebe by Samuel Norris and a hulking eye-level Shoveler from Martin Webb. I also enjoyed the flight shots of the Walmsley male Marsh Harrier supplied by Harry Williams Two images of common migrants were under active consideration for my POTW selection. Firstly Martin Webb’s crisp portrait of a male Northern Wheatear against a nice clean background and secondly Vic Booth’s considered composition of a Chiffchaff sat unobtrusively amongst Willow flowers. But in the end, I could not take my eyes off Chris Robbins’s all action capture of a Little Grebe treading water. Lovely colours combine with the symmetry of the bird’s reflection and pin sharp detail of fluffed feathers and flying water droplets to create a truly memorable image and worthy POTW.”

Congratulations Chris and thanks Nick for an excellent choice.