Bluey ballon flies as Spirit of America cheerleaders paricipate in the 96th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 24, 2022. (Photo by Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

Commended. In late May, about a quarter of a million snow geese arrive from North America to nest on Wrangel Island, in northeastern Russia. They form the world's largest breeding colony of snow geese. Photographer Sergey Gorshkov spent two months on the remote island photographing the unfolding dramas. Arctic foxes take advantage of the abundance of eggs, caching surplus eggs for leaner times. But a goose (here the gander) is easily a match for a fox, which must rely on speed and guile to steal eggs. “The battles were fairly equal”, notes Sergey, “and I only saw a fox succeed in grabbing an egg on a couple of occasions, despite many attempts”. Surprisingly, “the geese lacked any sense of community spirit”, he adds, “and never reacted when a fox harassed a neighboring pair nesting close by”. (Photo by Sergey Gorshkov/Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer)

A woman dressed in the style of a Hindu goddess keeps her face partially covered for a ritual during Maha Shivaratri celebrations on March 12, 2021 in Kaveripattinam, India. Maha Shivaratri is a major Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god, Shiva. The festival is observed with chanting prayers, fasting, and meditating to overcome “darkness and ignorance” in life. (Photo by Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images)

A Siberian eagle owl, which can grow up to 71cm tall, is among a collection of 60 birds of prey at SMJ Falconry near Oxenhope, West Yorkshire, England. (Photo by Charlotte Graham)

A tourist's umbrella blows upside down as she covers from the heavy rain and high winds, while she tours the city centre, as storm Konrad hits Spain, Portugal and France, in Ronda, Spain, on March 13, 2025. (Photo by Jon Nazca/Reuters)

A hiker walks in the Zillertal Alps during an autumn day near the village of Ginzling, Austria, October 15, 2019. (Photo by Lisi Niesner/Reuters)

An aerial view shows local residents visiting a river side park in Taipei during the Lunar Mew Year on February 19, 2021. (Photo by Sam Yeh/AFP Photo)

Rebecca Luo stands in a casket that was being used for people to take photographs during the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival and Awards on Sunday October 03, 2021 in Baltimore, MD. The writer died in Baltimore in 1849. His death is still clouded in mystery.(Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post)