UK wildlife photography competition - 2009 -Bird results
Wildlife Extra UK wildlife photography competition - 'Birds' finalists
This was by far the most competitive category, and so has the most finalists (Scroll down to see them all). There were plenty more shots that were there or there abouts, but these images just had that little bit of Je ne sais quoi.
And the winner, in a very very tight competition, was Lee Davis, for his extraordinary shot of a Black-headed gull robbing a puffin of a mouth full of sand eels.
Here we go, take a breath, exhale and say ' oh my god, what a photo!' I have looked at this so many times and still it bewitches me. Sand eels, puffins (and the stationary one at ease gives the photo pertinence) a black-headed gull all in one photo could just be a mess but somehow the photographer has caught the moment where the gull makes impact with both puffin and sand eels. Is this a tough shot to take? What do you think? It is even tougher to get it sharp and thankfully it is not one that can be manufactured in any way - it is wild, it is wonderful and I wish I had taken it.
Taken on the Farne Islands on a Canon EOS-1D mark II
Runners up
Competition was so fierce that we decided to present two joint runners up. Marcus Conway, for his gorgeous shout of another puffin, again taken on the Farne Islands, and Paul Cook for his Monet like shot of a swallow chasing a damselfly.
SWALLOW V DAMSELFLY - BY PAUL COOKClick the image or scroll down to see a larger version
Do swallows chase and catch damselflies? I don't know, and I don't need to know because that is what this extraordinary photo infers. The barley field is like a Monet painting, the smaller of the subjects is the one in focus as it should be, the flower with the splash of colour a delight, the moment was a nano second but Paul has nailed it. Degree of difficulty and originality are the two fundamental tents of any wildlife competition, this image ticks both boxes in bold. It needs to be viewed large as is lost otherwise.Taken in a field in Milton of Campsie, Scotland, on a Canon 400D Digital
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All the finalists
siskin in flight - by philip Bird
Unusual angle, unusual photograph. Superbly framed by the twigs and pods and wonderfully lit. However it is the slow shutter speed that sets this 'humans-eye view' apart - it gives movement, action and artistry.Taken at Fowlmere, Hertfordshire | splashing swan - by dave Bowron
I am always wary of photos of swans or ducks as they are almost domestic birds, but who the hell cares with an image like this. This is not a grab shot; I would imagine Dave took quite a few megapixels of these white regal birds that day. This one is wonderful, we've seen too many shots of them flying but this frozen moment with a lot of spray and spume is great. Perhaps a tighter more ambitious crop would have worked more but it is still a marvellous moment.Taken on the River Lee at Waltham Abbey |
owl at last light - by marcus conway | high and slow motion waders - by marcus conway |
puffin by marcus conway
'Puffin with sand eels' on paper is uninspiring. The photo is anything but. The crop is so bold, so audacious, it made me gasp, and I love the backlighting also. One sand eel is cropped poorly, so what, when you have a shot like this with an aperture as shallow as a kids pool it will either crash and burn or sail high into the ether.Taken on the Farne Islands | perfect puffin - by marcus conway
Puffins are not the hardest bird to photograph. By nature they are photogenic so it has to be something special to attain the lofty heights of this shortlist, especially in the strongest category - birds. One of these is the perfect portrait and Marcus knows that the background is as important, or more so, than the subject itself, and this green and granite layered sandwich is as appetising as it is artistic. The angle of the puffin is interesting with sufficient lean to add interest. It is a good composition, a lovely background but frankly second division compared to his other.Taken on the Treshnish Isles, Mull, on a Canon EOS-1D mark II. |
sand martin - by lee davis
Tough subject because of their speed but this is great, and all about capturing the moment as the bird crosses the plain brown out of focus background. The angle of the bird is fluid and the fast aperture again is rewarding.Taken on the east coast of Yorkshire | Swallow v Damselfly - by paul cook
Do swallows chase and catch damselflies? I don't know, and I don't need to know because that is what this extraordinary photo infers. The barley field is like a Monet painting, the smaller of the subjects is the one in focus as it should be, the flower with the splash of colour a delight, the moment was a nano second but Paul has nailed it. Degree of difficulty and originality are the two fundamental tents of any wildlife competition, this image ticks both boxes in bold. It needs to be viewed large as is lost otherwise.Taken in a field in Milton of Campsie, Scotland, on a Canon 400D Digital |
osprey - by pat douglass
Sharp, incoming and carrying lunch. A top image slightly impaired by the background being a touch distracting but a fantastic shot all the same. It is tough to get these Osprey right but patience and research has really paid off here.Taken in Speyside, Scotland. | puffin & black-headed gull - lee davis
Here we go, take a breath, exhale and say ' oh my god, what a photo!' I have looked at this so many times and still it bewitches me. Sand eels, puffins (and the stationary one at ease gives the photo pertinence) a black-headed gull all in one photo could just be a mess but somehow the photographer has caught the moment where the gull makes impact with both puffin and sand eels. Is this a tough shot to take? What do you think? It is even tougher to get it sharp and thankfully it is not one that can be manufactured in any way - it is wild, it is wonderful and I wish I had taken it.Taken on the Farne Islands on a Canon EOS-1D mark II |
grebes & chick - by richard stead
The moment of transfer, beautifully shot, fantastic background and effectively cropped. Very nice work and the best grebe shot out of many received. This must have been a patient pilgrimage as they do not give away their secrets overtly. It has a poignant delicacy I don't always associate with Waltham Cross.Taken in Lee Valley Park near Fishers Green, | grebes & chick, by john naylor
Taken in Burton Brick Ponds, Lincolnshire |
osprey & fish - by pat douglass
Pat has taken another Osprey but this one is in a different league. Backlit, comparatively slow shutter speed to make the splash interesting and dynamic. No need to delete the other Pat, but this one is remarkable.Taken in Speyside, Scotland. | magpie - by dean bricknell
The editor of Wildlife Extra often makes the valid point that if magpies were not such hooligans they would be lauded for their very beautiful appearance. That irksome demeanour has nothing to do with this photograph which is a candid shot on what I think is a chimney. Whether it was taken from the bedroom window or not, it is interesting, very well composed and have I ever seen a good silhouette of a magpie before? No. Actually I have never seen a bad one either so the originality box is well and truly ticked.Taken in Lothian, Scotland
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barn owl - by ryan edwards
More of these captivating birds. Ryan has taken two belters here; the first has a wonderful 'Athena'-like rustic glaze to it. This would sell well as the dreamy, ethereal nature of it is cathartic when placed large in big glass and steel insurance buildings. I like it, but not half as much as the other one which is brilliant. | barn owl - by ryan edwards
Composed staggeringly well with precise lighting but critically the barn owl is not 'cruising', this is a statement of intent and pretty soon some poor field mouse is going to know that it means business. Nice work indeed Ryan. |
buzzard - by craig churchill
Taken in Adderbury, Oxfordshire | nightingale - by dean bricknell |
