Annual Nature Competition

For commentary on the whole competition please visit our Highlight page the winning images are shown below.

Prints

1st Otter Siblings at Play By David Wilkinson

2nd Ring Ouzel By Alan Benson

Alan’s beautiful image was taken in mid Wales, a six hour return drive from home. It was taken from the car sat in a quarry for 4 hours and the sun only came out for a few minutes which made this shot.

3rd Painted Lady Close Up By Tony Leach

Tony was in Bulgaria on a cool and wet morning (as you can see from the water on the leaf). Cold enough for this painted lady to just sit still whilst he focus stacked this image.

HC Spring is in the Air By Simon Knight

HC Leopard Cub Hiding In Tree Stump By David Wilkinson

David writes: ‘While out in Botswana this year I had this beautiful siting, my eagle eyed guide spotted the cub under a tree as we traveled along the trail, he quickly reversed to observe the cub disappearing into the tree stump. Sitting quietly we waited for the cub to peer out, obviously an inquisitive little chap as it didn’t take long before it reappeared. Many happy memories from the trip, this has to be one of the best as the circumstances were very unusual’.

HC Marbled White By Robert Harvey

Marbled whites may be widespread but they are undeniably classy and they have one of the most interesting patterned underwings of any British butterfly. I found this one at sunrise, too cold to move and covered in overnight dew. I had plenty of time to set my camera up and make seven frames at F/8 which I focus-stacked to show both butterfly and knapweed sharp. Side-lighting by golden sun completed the image.

HC White-tailed Sea Eagle Seizing Fish By Robert Harvey

These huge birds are the world’s fourth largest species of eagle. This image was taken from a chartered boat during one of my wildlife photography tours to Mull, using panning and focus tracking. I like the trail of water showing where the fish was plucked from the water.

Projected Images

1st King of the Town By Simon Knight

Simon writes: ‘This was a well known and much photographed female kingfisher in Bradford on Avon. The day before this shot I photographed her on this exact branch, which she had caught fish from, but there was no context to the image, it could have been taken anywhere, as it was a frame-filling shot with a clean background.

To get something different, the next morning I put on a wide angle zoom lens and laid down on a wet path with camouflage netting over my head. I framed the shot with the bridge in the background, pre-focused on the branch and waited for her to arrive. I set an aperture of f4.5 which I felt showed the bridge nicely, but still offered a nice amount of separation from the whole background. True to form, she flew in after only around 20 minutes of waiting. It was a truly special moment with her perched only a few feet away from me. It was something I will never forget’.

2nd Roesel’s Bush-cricket Nymph By Simon Knight

Simon writes: ‘Insect macro is one of my favourite genres of photography and every year during May and June I keep a look out for the first emerging grasshopper and cricket nymphs at my local Nature Reserve in Southwick. Insects are easiest to photograph first thing in the morning, yet to be energised by the sun, so this is when I hunt for the tiny nymphs.

I wanted a picture of a nymph amongst dew drops to show just how tiny they are, and after four consecutive dewy mornings out at sunrise, my perseverance paid off. I found this Roesel’s Bush-cricket nymph perfectly positioned in between two dew drops. I was able to carefully get close and at its level without disturbing it, and handheld 10 focus-bracketed shots which I stacked together to ensure the entire nymph and dew drops were all in focus, whilst keeping the background free from distractions’.

HC Long Tailed Tit By Craig Purvis

Craig says ‘This image was taken by the lakeside in the Bowood Estate during a dog walk. I noticed a noisy 'gang' of Long Tailed Tits making their way through the shrubbery along the shore, so I positioned myself so that the Red Twig Dogwood on the opposite bank provided a potential backdrop; luckily a Tit was very very obliging in perching in the perfect spot for me’!

HC Sparrows Feeding Time By David Weeks

HC Dartford Warbler By Robert Harvey

Robert notes: ‘A scarce species found on heathlands, this Dartford warbler was bringing food to its nestlings on Thursley Common. I was standing on a footpath in the open using a 600mm telephoto lens to maintain my distance’.

c Furrow Orbweaver By David Fraser

Boletes and Bokeh By Tony Leach

Tony tells me: ‘It was quite deep in the New Forest but light was filtering through the leaves. I positioned the shot to create the bokeh and used two LED light banks to lighten the stalks and highlight the gills. Then I focus stacked to keep focus throughout the fungus’.

HC Nest Collecting Gannet By John Milburn

ohn writes: ‘I spent a wonderful three days up at Bempton cliffs, it was my first visit there and I couldn’t believe how many birds there were there. This particular day the Gannets were coming into the cliff top and plucking the grasses and weeds and flying off to make their nests’.

HC Warbling Sedge by David Evans

HC Trying to Hide in the Forest By John Milburn

HC Bearded Reedling By Robert Harvey

This charismatic bird lives in reed-beds, where it feed on the seeds. As they climb to the top, their weight is prone to bend the reeds over. On a breezy day at Radipole Lake, this one was keeping a tight grip on two stems to avoid that indignity.

HC Stretching at First Light By Gerald Clarke

HC Pair Of Loving Swans By Alan Benson

The swans were taken at Slimbridge on the 7th February this year and I waited until the 14th before I posted on social media. The light that morning really made this shot for me.

Held on 5th December 2023
Judged by: Helen Llewelyn
Results for the Print Section
1st	Otter Siblings at Play	by	David Wilkinson	Adv
2nd	Ring Ouzel	by	Alan Benson	Adv
3rd	Painted Lady Close Up	by	Tony Leach	Int
Highly Commended
	Spring is in the Air	by	Simon Knight	Int
	Leopard Cub Hiding In Tree Stump	by	David Wilkinson	Adv
	Marbled White at Sunrise	by	Robert Harvey	Adv
	White-tailed Sea Eagle Seizing Fish	by	Robert Harvey	Adv
Results for the Projected Image Section
1st	King of the Town	by	Simon Knight	Int
2nd	Roesel’s Bush-cricket Nymph	by	Simon Knight	Int
Highly Commended
	Dartford warbler	by	Robert Harvey	Adv
	Long Tailed Tit	by	Craig Purvis	Int
	Sparrows Feeding time	by	David Weeks	Int
	Furrow Orbweaver	by	David Fraser	Adv
	Boletes and bokeh	by	Tony Leach	Int
	Nest Collecting Gannet	by	John Milburn	Int
	Warbling Sedge	by	David Evans	Adv
	Trying to hide in the Forest	by	John Milburn	Int
	Bearded Reedling	by	Robert Harvey	Adv
	Stretching at first light	by	Gerald Clarke	Beg
	Pair of Loving Swans	by	Alan Benson	Adv