Kristeen Baggetto, "Watch Your Back" (Australasian Darter) (ANIMALS 2022)

These birds, with their long snake-like necks, sharp pointed bills and suspicious natures, have fascinated me since I first took up wildlife photography about four years ago. At the first sound of my shutter, this one, which was photographed at my local Botanic Gardens in Bundaberg, Queensland, cautiously turned back towards me to see what I was up to, ready to take off at a second's notice if I got too close.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.