Rfalconcam Forum

The incredible shots show each individual feathers of the minute creatures as they attempted to tackle a feeder packed full of treats.

The birds are caught mid-flight, hovering in front of a hidden feedingstation with their wings spread. The photographs even catch a battle between two pine siskins - right down to their tiny talons digging in.

The remarkable pictures were taken by British photographer Roy Hancliff, 64, from Oxford, in the garden of his log cabin home in Canada.

Mr Hancliff, who now lives in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, with his wife Sharon, 45, said:

"We set up a feeding station near the cabin workshop in our back garden as our winters can be very cold.

"The birds are constantly looking for a source of food so we set up blocks of fat with nuts and seeds.

"The smaller birds have become quite accustomed to us being around and I can get within two or three feet of them.

"The photographs of the birds were all taken around the feeders, with the single birds coming and going.

"The duelling pine siskins were squabbling at the feeding stations, flying around and trying to peck one other.

"They would rise up into the air as high as 15 foot, with their talons still locked together.

"It was incredible to watch and it looks really vicious when you see the still pictures, but they didn't seem to do any harm to each other at all.

"From the way they were moving, we considered whether it might even be the beginning of a mating ritual but we couldn't be sure."

The photographs were taken using a Nikon D300 camera, with separate flash units set up close to the subjects.

 :flash:   Great shot!    :thanks2: