Shared Moment: Survival Strategy

Photographer Diana Rebman captures a midair moment

Photograph by Diana Rebman
PhotoZone
Feb 01, 2019

ON A BITTER SUB-ZERO DAY in Hokkaido, Japan, when all nearby water was frozen solid, this tiny long-tailed tit found a midair drink by nibbling the tip of an icicle. “This behavior just fascinated me,” says photographer Diana Rebman. “I’d never seen anything like it.” Rebman spent several hours over two days watching long-tailed and marsh tits visiting the site. “They were very nicely choreographed,” she recalls. “They would sit on branches all around and take turns. For these tiny birds to live in that environment, I guess they have to be very creative.”

Call for entries!

Alive with whimsy and grace, this lovely image earned an honorable mention in National Wildlife’s 2018 photo contest. You, too, can earn a chance to be published in this magazine by entering our 2019 contest, open through March 22.
To enter, go to www.nwf.org/photocontest.
Best of luck!