Worcestershire’s wild photo winners

From dancing damselflies to blooming bluebells, 12 images capturing the wild side of Worcestershire have secured winning places in this year’s photography competition run by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.

Each year, the county’s largest nature conservation charity encourages people to enter photographs documenting the natural wonders of Worcestershire. Winners each receive a copy of the charity’s fundraising calendar, which features a different image each month.

Wendy Carter, organiser of the competition, explained “We’d like to say a huge congratulations to the winners and runners-up and a thank you to everyone who entered; we received an unprecedented number of submissions that have been a joy to look through.

“We have been able to produce another beautiful calendar this year, which would not have been possible without the support from our two external judges, Pete Walkden and Jason Curtis."

“Even in bustling towns and cities, there are pockets of nature to be found. So when you’re out and about, it’s always worth having a camera to hand; from the wonderous to the whimsical, you never know what you might discover.”

A kingfisher perched on a branch by the River Avon — Kingfisher by Mark Everett

Each winning photograph features as an A4 image in the Trust’s 2024 calendar. A further 24 images by runners-up appear as smaller inserts.

This year’s overall winner is Mark Everett of Pershore, whose image will feature on the front cover of the calendar. The striking winning photo of a kingfisher perched by the River Avon was chosen through a public vote, which was advertised across the Trust’s social media channels.

Mark said “I was absolutely delighted to receive the news that one of my photographs had been selected for September on the 2024 Worcestershire Wildlife Trust calendar and even more astounded that it had been chosen as one of the four in contention for the cover image, a very prestigious honour.

“To then receive the news that it had been chosen by public vote for the cover has not only made me immensely proud but also very humbled to have been picked over all the other wonderful images that had been submitted. Thank you so much."

In a bumper year for entries, judges had the challenging task of selecting frontrunners from more than 400 images submitted by nearly 100 photographers. All Trust staff are involved in the initial judging process. Once submissions have been whittled down, external volunteer judges, professional wildlife photographer Pete Walkden (Pete Walkden Photography) and semi-professional wildlife photographer Jason Curtis (Wyre Wildlife), help to choose twelve winners.

The calendar costs £8.00 and is available to buy from the Trust’s online shop. All proceeds directly benefit the Trust’s work to protect Worcestershire’s wildlife and to create habitats on our nature reserves.

Photographers can stay in touch with the Trust online through their active Flickr group, Facebook page and Twitter account.

The winners

Photographs can be seen at the Trust's Flickrstream.

January – Stonechat, Grimley by David Meredith

Stonechat perched on a frosty fence post — Stonechat by David Meredith

“I visited Grimley on a frosty and misty winter morning and was delighted to see a beautiful pair of stonechats (his mate can just be seen further along the fence) with feathers fluffed up to keep warm.”

Febuary – Otter, Kemerton Lake nature reserve by Paul Lloyd

An otter poking its head above water — Otter by Paul Lloyd

“I’ve been very fortunate to see otters during many hours of watching and waiting here. This picture was particularly difficult as the February sun was low in the sky and I was shooting directly into it, making the exposure quite awkward. The otter’s pose also had to be just right so the contre-jour image would work.”

March – Common frog, Cookhill by John Kirk

A common frog peeking its head out of water — Common frog by John Kirk

“I noticed the frogs coming to the surface of our small, raised pond and croaking loudly; I decided to take my camera to get a closeup of a frog face. It took a lot of patience to wait for one to resurface close to my tripod set-up. It looked so cute that I titled the photo ‘waiting for the kiss”

April – Bluebells, Trench Wood nature reserve by Ric Harding

A woodland with a carpet of bluebells — Bluebells by Ric Harding

" I wanted to produce an image to represent the quintessence of rural Worcestershire in springtime and found that Trench Wood offered the perfect combination of glades of bluebells and well-established trees with their new verdant foliage.”

May – Common blue damselflies, Spetchley Gardens by Robin Couchman

Two pairs of common blue damselflies perched on a plant — Common blue damselflies by Robin Couchman

" I had gone to the lake at Spetchley Gardens on a very hot day intending to photograph dragonflies. Whilst waiting for one to come past I noticed these two pairs located on a beautiful arched leaf. To get two pairs on the same leaf was a real bonus.”

June – Tawny owl, The Knapp & Papermill nature reserve by Jenny Farmer

A tawny owl perched on a branch looking at the camera — Tawny owl by Jenny Farmer

“A very vocal tawny owl ensured his presence was known to all, except I was the only person around; such an unforgettable first encounter.”

July – Small tortoiseshell, Broadway by Amy Marsh

A small tortoiseshell perched on knapweed on farmland — Small tortoiseshell by Amy Marsh

“On a walk near Broadway, I spotted this beautiful butterfly fluttering between flowers at the field edge. Balancing against a fence to get the right angle, I just managed to catch it before it flew off. I love the contrast of its colours against the golden field and cloudy sky."

August – Hummingbird hawk-moth, Trench Wood nature reserve by Cathryn Dhonau

A hummingbird hawk-moth flying towards a flower — Hummingbird hawk-moth by Cathryn Dhonau

“This was my first time meeting this moth and i was completely enchanted by it. Armed with just my macro lens, getting close enough not to frighten it away was the biggest hurdle. Blink and it's gone! Patience, perseverance and fast camera craft are required!"

September – Kingfisher, Pershore by Mark Everett

“I had seen this kingfisher perching on this hawthorn branch but usually when I was on a different part of the stretch of the Avon in Pershore. One day I got tucked in under the next tree and waited. Within a few minutes I was rewarded with this shot."

October – Bonnets, Piper’s Hill and Dodderhill Commons nature reserve by Peter Pipkin

Two groups of bonnets emerging from tree bark/trunk — Bonnets by Peter Pipkin

“We often visit Piper’s Hill, specifically for fungi; autumn 2022 was a good year for it. On this day I photographed at least a dozen different fungi but kept coming back to these bonnets. The texture and colours on the fallen tree hint at the story of this ancient woodland.”

November – Roe buck, North Littleton by Jennifer Farmer

A roe buck stood in a grass field staring at the camera — Roe buck by Jennifer Farmer

“Crouched in a gap along the hedgerow, I couldn't believe my luck when this buck emerged from the woodland into the fields with a backdrop of blue sky. It felt like I was on safari.”

December – Long-tailed tit, Dormston by Chris Farman

A long-tailed tit perched on a snowy branch — Long-tailed tit by Chris Farman

“I like pictures in snow but it is so infrequent these days. I'd like to tell a story about enduring freezing winds to get the picture but it was actually taken through the window of my home office. Luckily taken on a Sunday, so my boss can't complain!"

Photo competition