Our wetlands, your talent
Every year, our annual members' photography competition provides a fresh view of wetland wildlife revealing the beauty that is all around but not always noticed.
![A woman taking a photograph from her mobility scooter with blurred water and swans in background](./assets/UJUkmv1D2g/waterlife_comp_23_hero2-2000x1238.jpg)
The results of our 2023 member's photography competition are in! Enjoy this stunning display of some of our super short listers with a spotlight on this year's winners.
As always, the judges were awed by entrants exceptional technical skills and lightening-fast shutter fingers capturing rare moments, sky wildlife and extraordinary behaviours.
This year we’re delighted to give the winning prize of Swarovski Optics to Sukhdev Singh, for his stunning picture of a swallow in flight. And the Young Photographer of the Year prize goes to 8-year-old Jamie Smart. She wins a pair of VIKING binoculars. Well-deserved for her eye-catching dragonfly closeup.
Scroll down or skip to the online shortlist. If you're on your phone, try turning it on its side to allow for a bigger image size.
![Detailed close up of a swallow in flight](./assets/ZH72iM0weK/sukhdevsingh_swallow_we-4096x2731.jpg)
Winner: Sukhdev Singh
Image title: Sky dancer
Captured at: WWT Welney
Sukhdev says: I was in the hide just to the right of the observatory, looking over the main lagoon, when I realised there was a swallow nest in the corner. Every five minutes or so, the parent birds would fly out through the window and return with their beaks stuffed full of insects for their five chicks. It was a wonderful photo opportunity; the challenge was freezing the birds in flight and getting a sharp image.
The jury says: Sukhdev has made this technically challenging image look easy. Birds in flight are always tricky, and swallows are small, swift and fly erratically. In his image, the subject is pin-sharp, its wings are held in the ideal position, and the light highlights the finest details of its steely blue head and tawny breast feathers. The crispness of the swallow is isolated perfectly against an exquisite wash of wetland colour. We salute you, Sukhdev.
![A sky full of flying avocets, their black and white plumage looking striking against the sky blue and fluffy clouds](./assets/ekErkwu6Ts/ruthspencer_avocetflypast_sl-4000x3000.jpg)
Runner up: Ruth Spencer
Image title: Formation flying
Captured at: WWT Slimbridge
Ruth says: As a regular visitor, I know avocets often gather in huge numbers on the lakes at Slimbridge in April, so my goal was to photograph a flock taking flight. But I hadn’t expected that, a few seconds after take-off, the birds would wheel around in formation, wings outstretched, forming this beautiful abstract pattern in the sky.
The jury says: Thanks to her knowledge of the species and the location, Ruth was able to create this artistic vision of nature. Her simple but dramatic image showcases the exquisite beauty of the avocets’ plumage and demonstrates why we should all take a step back to see the bigger picture sometimes.
![Detailed close up of a southern hawker dragonfly in flight](./assets/YI9HP8lezF/winner_missjamiesmart_dragonfly_ll-2000x1075.jpg)
Youth winner: Jamie Smart
Image title: Action stations
Captured at: WWT Llanelli
Jamie (8) says: It was an unusually warm day and there were a lot of large dragonflies buzzing around. They’re amazing in flight – like tiny helicopters. I wanted to capture a photo of one hunting, but they don’t stay still for long! I tried over and over again, using different settings, and then finally got a shot I’m pleased with.
The jury says: An ambitious shot and Jamie has risen to the challenge. It takes tenacity and skill to photograph dragonflies in flight: Jamie has both in spades. This southern hawker’s four wings have good separation; you can even see the hairs on its legs. Bravo!
![Detailed close up of a Norfolk hawker dragonfly in flight, with distinctive blurry wings](./assets/ArtbWH2Cyf/ianhowarth_norfolkhawkerdragonfly_we-3242x2163.jpg)
Special commendation:
Ian Howarth
– as featured on front cover of Waterlife
Image title: Flight of Fancy
Captured at: WWT Welney
Ian says: When I visited Welney last June, I spotted a Norfolk hawker dragonfly. It took a lot of attempts to get a sharp image.
The jury says: Ian’s head-on perspective, the sense of movement created by the vibrating wings and the gorgeous detail on the head and thorax made this shot a winner.
The best of the rest
It’s always a tough job selecting the final shortlist for our printed feature in our membership magazine Waterlife. So we're delighted to be able to share more of your talent online. As always, we were blown away by your creativity and skill.
Please click on each photo to enlarge it and scroll through the gallery:
![Kestrel on a fence post with a dragonfly in its talons](./assets/12GZTcyRYA/garryoldfield_kestrelwithdragonfly_mm-3719x2480.jpg)
Garry Oldfield - Kestrel with dragonfly (WWT Martin Mere)
Garry Oldfield - Kestrel with dragonfly (WWT Martin Mere)
![Two male wigeon splashing in water as a female wigeon takes flight](./assets/oByxHBzpZJ/arnoldurson_wigeon_lo-3850x2567.jpg)
Arnold Urson - Wigeon (WWT London)
Arnold Urson - Wigeon (WWT London)
![Common tern hovering over its young chicks eyeing the fish in its beak](./assets/1yM9P1O106/deemaddams_commontern-chicks_wa-3000x4000.jpg)
Dee Madams - Common tern
Dee Madams - Common tern
![Asian short clawed otter submerged in a pool](./assets/XUDJJ7kWK8/debbiehutchinson_asianshort-clawedotter_lo-4096x2926.jpg)
Deborah Hutchinson - Tod the otter (WWT London)
Deborah Hutchinson - Tod the otter (WWT London)
![Greylag goose running through water surrounded by six young goslings](./assets/sib0JOhvAM/maggiebullock_greylag-goose-with-goslings_mm-4096x2731.jpg)
Maggie Bullock - Greylag geese (WWT Martin Mere)
Maggie Bullock - Greylag geese (WWT Martin Mere)
![A roe deer jumping in grassland](./assets/qNfASHtEMu/kevinlivesey_roedeer_mm-4096x2731.jpg)
Kevin Livesey - Roe deer (WWT Martin Mere)
Kevin Livesey - Roe deer (WWT Martin Mere)
![Detailed close up of a migrant hawker dragonfly in flight](./assets/DtETmBueOR/milesthomas_dragonflyflight_we-4096x2928.jpg)
Miles Thomas - Migrant hawker (WWT Welney)
Miles Thomas - Migrant hawker (WWT Welney)
![Male sedge warbler calling from a bush](./assets/z57v8xkBP7/nevillecarter_sedgewarbler_-lo-4083x3267.jpg)
Neville Carter - Male sedge warbler’s territorial display (WWT London)
Neville Carter - Male sedge warbler’s territorial display (WWT London)
![Dalmatian pelican preening its grey feathers with its bright orange bill](./assets/GwZhYuaXmH/richardallan_dalmatianpelican_ar-3847x2564.jpg)
Richard Allan - Dalmatian pelican (WWT Arundel)
Richard Allan - Dalmatian pelican (WWT Arundel)
![Reed warbler perched on a reed with lots of insects in its bill](./assets/LKAAOBZdDV/markkemp_reed-warbler-bringing-food_sl-3317x2600.jpg)
Mark Kemp - Reed warbler (WWT Slimbridge)
Mark Kemp - Reed warbler (WWT Slimbridge)
![Profile view of a rabbit amid some green undergrowth](./assets/bfvHzkxP2A/timothywoolf_rabbit_sl-2719x2841.jpg)
Timothy Woolf - Rabbit (WWT Slimbridge)
Timothy Woolf - Rabbit (WWT Slimbridge)
![A group of snipe skulking in the reeds](./assets/wxoeN03Zcw/philipjennison_somanysnipe_mm-4096x2732.jpg)
Philip Jennison - Snipe Martin (WWT Martin Mere)
Philip Jennison - Snipe Martin (WWT Martin Mere)
![A stork tending to its nest](./assets/LfmH3b4Jco/michaelmoden_marchstork_mm-2048x1587.jpg)
Michael Moden - Stork (WWT Martin Mere)
Michael Moden - Stork (WWT Martin Mere)
![A kestrel hovering mid-hunt](./assets/guFGIZlBwt/nevillecarter_kestrel_-lo-1280x960.jpg)
Neville Carter - Kestrel (WWT London)
Neville Carter - Kestrel (WWT London)
![](./assets/gTBjtdicdM/samellis_jumpingspider_ar-4096x3072.jpg)
Sam Ellis - jumping spider (WWT Arundel)
Sam Ellis - jumping spider (WWT Arundel)
![](./assets/EAIOeBzZ8Y/debbiehutchinson_longtailedtit_lo-2725x3691.jpg)
Debbie Hutchinson - long tailed tit (WWT London)
Debbie Hutchinson - long tailed tit (WWT London)
![](./assets/LUZ8tUjCKo/glennalder_beeorchid_ar-800x1200.jpg)
Glenn Alder - bee orchid (WWT Arundel)
Glenn Alder - bee orchid (WWT Arundel)
![](./assets/WbM8KJn36A/malcolmtaylor_greywagtail_sl-3704x2620.jpg)
Malcom Taylor - grey wagtail (WWT Slimbridge)
Malcom Taylor - grey wagtail (WWT Slimbridge)
![](./assets/2FTJxrAwNy/richardallan_black-neckedgrebe_ar-3420x2280.jpg)
Richard Allan - black-necked grebe (WWT Arundel)
Richard Allan - black-necked grebe (WWT Arundel)
![](./assets/W0AL5pe3y3/charlesfrodsham_buzzard_mm-2217x1520.jpg)
Charles Frodsham - Buzzard (WWT Martin Mere)
Charles Frodsham - Buzzard (WWT Martin Mere)
![](./assets/lKF9pbObKv/davesutton_matingtoads_mm-4096x2682.jpg)
Dave Sutton - mating toads (WWT Martin Mere)
Dave Sutton - mating toads (WWT Martin Mere)