Living hand-to-beak: The birds happy to eat bread rolls fed to them by photographer in unique set of pictures

By DAMIEN GAYLE

A bird in the hand: A starling swoops low to snap up a chunk of bread roll from photographer Aorian Ashot's hand in Richmond Park, north London

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, so the saying goes. But if, like this starling, they're feeling a bit peckish, it's not too hard to lure them close.
These remarkable first-person photographs show how some greedy birds are not afraid to hover and jostle each other to get their claws on a few crumbs from a bread roll.
Russian photographer Aroian Ashot, 39, from Moscow, who shoots under his professional name Alex A. Royal, took these images of British birds in Richmond Park, south west London.


Flocking hell: This freeze-frame image shows, despite the tiny feathered creatures delicate frames, they're not afraid to compete to get the prize

Precision guided: A starling takes a bite from Mr Ashot's bread roll

But capturing these moments took patience, concentration and a quick shutter finger, he says. Only when they are confident it is safe will the feathered creatures swoop low for a bite.
'The birds always are very careful from the beginning,' said Mr Ashot.
'I try not to make sharp movements, and not to look directly at their group.
'Then they gradually take courage and fly up-close and eventually start to eat their meal from my hands.'

Divebomb: A fearless starling comes in for the attack

Patience: The birds are careful to begin with, but eventually get the courage to snap up the food

Peckish: Mr Ashot got the idea after greedy New York seagulls tried to steal his lunch while he was on holiday in the city

Drama: The images capture the fierce beauty of the tiny flying creatures

Mr Ashot came up with the idea to take these shots when he met bold seagulls attracted to his lunch while on holiday and decided to snap himself feeding them.
'I tried to feed seagulls in New York, and I found that they weren’t afraid of people,' he said. 'They would snatch food directly from my hands.
'So I repeated this in England with all the different birds I encountered there.
'I love to show beauty of the nature and animals and people like to see my pictures because they are full of fun.'

source: dailymail