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Macro image of a carnivorous round-leaved sundew showing hair-like red tendrils tipped with glistening droplets that attract insects

Round-leaved sundew by Paul Olive, Sole Common Pond, Berkshire

Photography Competition 2023

Photo competition winners announced!

Our judges had the tricky task of picking from hundreds of wildlife-themed images showcasing the fabulous flora, fauna and landscapes of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

From hummingbird hawk-moths and dazzling damselflies to carnivorous plants, fruiting fungi and high-flying falcons - the standard of entries was excellent!

We are delighted to reveal the overall winner and share with you the prize-winning images.

First place

Congratulations to Harry Berks, overall winner of the BBOWT Photography Competition, for his close-up image of a white-legged damselfly showing off its big, blue eyes! Harry wins a top-of-the-range Nikon Z50 mirrorless digital camera with a 16-50mm lens and an A3 canvas print of his fabulous photo.

White-legged damselfly, macro image showing large, blue compound eyes

White-legged damselfly by Harry Berks, Woodford Bottom & Lamb's Pool Nature Reserve, Oxfordshire

Category winners

Photographers could choose from 12 different categories this year. View the winning entries below.

Hoverfly on a pink scabious flower

Hoverfly on scabious by Fern Gregory

Macro image of a dock bug

Dock bug by Anton Poon

Macro image of a carnivorous round-leaved sundew showing hair-like red tendrils tipped with glistening droplets that attract insects

Round-leaved sundew by Paul Olive, Sole Common Pond, Berkshire

Common earthball fungus growing on woodland floor

Common earthball by Paul Morgan-Russell, Wildmoor Heath, Berkshire

White-legged damselfly, macro image showing large, blue compound eyes

White-legged damselfly by Harry Berks, Woodford Bottom & Lamb's Pool Nature Reserve, Oxfordshire

Dartford warbler on gorse

Dartford warbler by Darren Prestoe, Greenham Common Nature Reserve, Berkshire

Close up of a bank vole peering through ice-covered leaves

Bank vole by Andrew Kelsick, Warburg Nature Reserve

Close up of a common frog on pond surface

Common frog by Jessica Crumpton, Letcombe Brook, Oxfordshire

Entrance gate and path leading into Grangelands and Rifle Range Nature Reserve, Buckinghamshire

Grangelands & The Rifle Range Nature Reserve, Buckinghamshire by Gill Cornelius

Hummingbird hawk-moth hovering by a flower, feeding on nectar

Hummingbird hawk-moth by Colin Lamb

Conservation volunteers clearing dead reeds at Weston Turville Reservoir, Buckinghamshire

Conservation volunteers by Gill Cornelius, Weston Turville Reservoir, Buckinghamshire

Silhouette of a grey heron stood by water with streetlamp and sunset reflections

Grey heron by Danny Kidby-Hunter

  1. Children (ages 6-11) - Hoverfly on scabious by Fern Gregory
  2. Teens (ages 12-17) - Dock bug by Anton Poon
  3. Flora - Round-leaved sundew by Paul Olive
  4. Fungi - Common earthball by Paul Morgan-Russell
  5. Insects and Arachnids - White-legged damselfly by Harry Berks
  6. Birds - Dartford warbler by Darren Prestoe
  7. Mammals - Bank vole by Andrew Kelsick
  8. Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish - Common frog by Jessica Crumpton
  9. Nature Reserve Landscapes - Grangelands & The Rifle Range by Gill Cornelius
  10. Team Wilder - Hummingbird hawk-moth by Colin Lamb
  11. People in Nature - Reed clearance at Weston Turville Reservoir by Gill Cornelius
  12. Urban Nature - Grey heron by Danny Kidby-Hunter

Category winners receive a workshop with Steve Gozdz of GG Wildlife Experiences, a copy of BBOWT's 2024 wildlife calendar featuring their winning image, a café voucher, and certificate.

Runners-up & highly commended images

With such a high quality of entries, the following images were also recognised and rewarded.

16-spot ladybirds on a dandelion flower

16-spot ladybirds on a dandelion by Evelyn Paveley

Macro image of a hoverfly on a flower

Hoverfly by Anton Poon

An ice-covered reed against blue sky, winter

Frozen reed by Gill Cornelius, Weston Turville Reservoir, Buckinghamshire

Birch polypore fungus growing on tree trunk

Birch polypore fungus by Tom Dixon, Wokefield Common Nature Reserve, Berkshire

Close-up image of a Roesel's bush-cricket

Roesel's bush-cricket by Nigel Carter, Chimney Meadows Nature Reserve, Oxfordshire

Juvenile bullfinch perched on a branch with wet feathers after bathing

Juvenile bullfinch by John Kearns, Warburg Nature Reserve

Brown hare in a field of buttercups

Brown hare by Jono Mckendry, Chimney Meadows Nature Reserve, Oxfordshire

Close up of a common lizard on a branch

Common lizard by Nigel Carter, Bernwood Meadows

Winter mist over College Lake Nature Reserve, Buckinghamshire

College Lake Nature Reserve by David Brown, Buckinghamshire

Juvenile great tit hanging from a bird feeder

Juvenile great tit by Volodymyr Lebediev

Two common frogs in a pond guarding frogspawn

Common frogs guarding frogspawn by Denes Dobai

A sunlit common blue butterfly on the pink flowers of ling

Common blue butterfly on ling by Rob Pycraft, Decoy Heath Nature Reserve, Berkshire

Peregrine falcon landing on a building

Peregrine falcon by David Thirlwall

House martin on red tile roof with the shadow of a second bird flying overhead

House martin by Jono Mckendry

Runners-up

Each receiving a BBOWT calendar and certificate.

  1. Children (ages 6-11) - 16-spot ladybirds on a dandelion by Evelyn Paveley
  2. Teens (ages 12-17) - Hoverfly by Anton Poon
  3. Flora - Frozen reed by Gill Cornelius
  4. Fungi - Birch polypore fungus by Tom Dixon
  5. Insects and Arachnids - Roesel's bush-cricket by Nigel Carter
  6. Birds - Juvenile bullfinch by John Kearns
  7. Mammals - Brown hare by Jono Mckendry
  8. Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish - Common lizard by Nigel Carter
  9. Nature Reserve Landscapes - College Lake by David Brown
  10. Team Wilder - Juvenile great tit by Volodymyr Lebediev
  11. Urban Nature - Common frogs and frogspawn by Denes Dobai
 

Highly commended

Each receiving a café voucher and certificate.

  1. Insects & Arachnids - Common blue butterfly on ling by Rob Pycraft
  2. Urban Nature - Peregrine falcon by David Thirlwall
  3. Urban Nature - House martin by Jono Mckendry

Thank you

We are so grateful to everyone who entered the 2023 photography competition and shared their photos with us.

Your amazing images will be used to encourage and inspire more people like you to act for nature.

We will be back next year for the 2024 photography competition - but in the meantime, there is plenty to get involved with!

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