Red knots · Snettisham, England
Flock of Gold
For one brief moment, a single bird rises out of a vast flock of red knots in the first light of day.
Behind the image
One bird, thousands of others.
I made Flock of Gold at sunrise in September 2024, when tens of thousands of red knots gathered at Snettisham in Norfolk. At high tide the birds roost close together. Golden light gave the flock its warmth; one bird lifting its wings gave the image its centre.
The photograph holds two scales at once: the immense pattern of the colony and a fleeting gesture within it. No bait or attraction was used. It was a moment of natural behaviour, found by watching and waiting.
- Subject
- Red knots (Calidris canutus)
- Place
- Snettisham, Norfolk, England
- Made
- September 2024
- Method
- Natural behaviour, without baiting
This photograph
Awards for Flock of Gold.
- 2025AsfericoWinner Bird Category
- 2025Emotion’AilesOverall WinnerOfficial results ↗︎
- 2025Festival International Nature NamurGrand PrixOfficial results ↗︎
- 2025GlanzlichterHonorable Mention
- 2025MontPhoto1st Award · BirdsOfficial results ↗︎
- 2025Nature Photographer of the YearHighly Commended · Birds
- 2025New York Photography AwardsOverall WinnerOfficial results ↗︎
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