Every year, a panel of bird photography enthusiasts comes together to choose the winners of the prestigious Bird Photographer of the Year Awards, the problem being that there are just too many stunning pictures to choose from, and only so many awards to give out.

Here are some of the most incredible pictures that didn’t get the prize, but did get a nod from the judges, as well as some winners of the previous years.

Edited By: Avishai Edenburg / Copyright: ba-bamail.com.

Common buzzard (hawk in North America) caught a second before hitting the water

The great cormorant is among the most efficient fishers in nature

Be vewwy vewwy quiet, this black-crowned night-heron is on the hunt!

Despite the James Bond connotation, the common goldeneye isn’t very sneaky or spylike, at all, and can actually be pretty aggressive

This picture is aptly titled “camouflage”

Another common sea-duck, the eider has a beautifully-patterned plumage during mating season

The crown-crested hoopoe is monogamous, and during nesting, the male hunts for the female, as well as himself

This bearded silhouette belongs to the capercaillie, a type of grouse (or gamefowl) that is related to pheasants. This male is in the midst of a mating call

Ever wondered how hummingbirds get to all of that sweet nectar? A long, thin tongue helps a lot

Wild mallards on a lake

Somebody call Hitchcock, it’s happening!

Hummingbirds move so fast, they often seem like a blur. This is what they actually look like mid-flight

Note the hummingbird’s translucent gossamer feathers

A raven flying through the snow

This is a ptarmigan, another northerly member of the grouse family. The effect of the bird blending into the background was accomplished through overexposure