Silverback Western lowland gorilla
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Red panda

Sphynx cat

Meerkat

Walrus

Black and white ruffed lemur

Secretary bird

Rhinoceros

Sumatran orangutan

Shoebill stork

Bald eagle

Guinea turaco

Marabou stork

West Usambara two-horned chameleon

Mantled guereza

Snowy owl

Valais blacknose sheep

Vulture

Tooth and Nail, April 2022. African Lion, Okavango Delta, Botswana (Photo: © Harry Skeggs)
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Kong, December 2021. Mountain Gorilla, Bwindi, Uganda (Photo: © Harry Skeggs)

Onward, August 2022. Brown Bear, Katmai, Alaska (Photo: © Harry Skeggs)

Limelight, March 2019. Masai Giraffe, Masai Mara, Kenya (Photo: © Harry Skeggs)

Pride of Pejeta, March 2022. Southern White Rhino, Ol Pejeta, Kenya (Photo: © Harry Skeggs)

Calm Waters, March 2020. Camargue Horse, Camargue, France (Photo: © Harry Skeggs)

Mists of Time, August 2022. Brown Bear, Katmai, Alaska (Photo: © Harry Skeggs)

Yesterday’s Kings, March 2022. King Penguin, Jason Harbour, South Georgia (Photo: © Harry Skeggs)

Between the Cracks, March 2022. Chinstrap Penguin, near Elephant Island, Antarctica (Photo: © Harry Skeggs)

Dawn Patrol, July 2018. Tiger Shark, Tiger Beach, Bahamas (Photo: © Harry Skeggs)

“Holding on for a ride” by Alexander Fine.
Animal: Brown Bear
“Mother brown bear trying to go and her cubs want a ride instead of walking.”

“Laughing outloud” by Ingo Hamann.
Animal: Seal
“This newborn seal seems to be laughing at a good joke.”

“Three heads are better than one” by John Mullineux.
Animal: Giraffe
“Two male giraffe were fighting shortly after drinking some water in the green Kalahari. They again started sizing each other up but ended up scooching over to a third giraffe. In a single moment, the three formed one body with three heads.”

“Did You Hear the One About The….?” by Wendy Kaveney.
Animal: Polar bear
“Anthropomorphic antics of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) telling each other jokes and laughing hysterically.”

“Slow hands” by Harry Collins.
Animal: Three toed sloth
“A sloth in Costa Rica that looks like he may have been a guitar player in a previous life. This image gives new meaning to Eric Clapton's nickname ‘slowhand.'”

“Watch Out For That Tree” by Mark Koster.
Animal: Male mallard duck
“A male mallard flying appears to be running into a tree at Chaparral Park in Scottsdale, actually was flying behind it!”

“Pick Me Pick Meeeeee” by Thomas Van Puymbroeck.
Animal: Sea turtle
“Who wants to live in a plastic-free ocean? Meeeee.”

“Three's A Crowd” by Deena Sveinsson.
Animal: Chinstrap penguins
“When we finally arrived at Half Moon Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica our unassuming expedition ship was greeted by a beautiful white and snowy landscape. We zipped across the cold ocean waters, and upon disembarking the zodiacs, the group was careful to follow the increased biosecurity measures that were put into effect in Antarctica due to the bird flu. Arriving in the spring and the very early tourist season, we didn't have the large number of chinstrap penguins I had imagined we would. I expected thousands of them, but we were only greeted by a few hundred. As this was our first stop in Antarctica, I quickly started to take the usual photographs we all seemed to see. But then, in the distance, I saw these three chinstrap penguins hanging out with one another, having a good time. I walked as quickly as I could with a torn meniscus and a sprained MCL on my right knee. When I reached the penguins, it happened suddenly, there seemed to be a slight ruckus and some disagreement. Shortly after that, the penguin pair briskly walked off leaving the poor little lone fella wondering why he was left. I couldn't help but laugh when I viewed this photo on the back of my camera. How humanlike. And how awful it must be to be that third wheel.”

“Not a good idea” by Anton Pretorius.
Animal: Buffalo and cattle egret
“This western cattle egret thinking of having a go at the male organ of a buffalo.”

“Peak A Boo!” by Tilan Weerasinghe.
Animal: White-breasted waterhen
“A water cock giving a hilarious action.”

“Atmosphere” by Shaaz Jung. Location: Tanzania.

“Parenting Goals” by Thomas Vijayan. Location: Antarctica.
“Emperor penguins, native to Antarctica, exhibit remarkable family dynamics. These majestic birds engage in an intricate dance of cooperation and nurturing to ensure the survival of their chicks in the harsh polar environment. Both parents actively participate in caring for the offspring, taking turns incubating eggs and braving the cold conditions to secure food. Parental care plays a key role in the survival of the Chicks. Each chick is always taken care of by one of its own parents. Before shooting this image, I was literally lying flat on the sea ice for hours, allowing them to feel comfortable in my presence. Then, gradually, I started clicking them from different angles. This image is indeed a dear image to me, showing family love and affection and the close bond they share. In their synchronized warmth, these fluffy youngsters find comfort and strength in the heart of the frigid wilderness.”

“Beak to beak” by Claudio Contreras Koob. Location: Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.
“A Caribbean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) chick, less than five days old receives its food first light in the morning, a blood-red secretion generated inside the body of both parents that rapidly makes him grow. Chicks remain in the nest for less than a week, when they start wandering around the colony in crèches where they initiate to feed for themselves. For months to come they will anyway get fed by their parents.”

“Double Orcas” by Jens Wikström. Location: Skjervøy, Norway.
“Two orcas that spy hopped at the same time while having a bait ball one January day in one of the most northern fjords of Norway.”

“Olobor, In Memoriam” by Marina Cano. Location: Maasai Mara, Kenya.
“It was late afternoon when I found Olobor resting. He was one of the famous five-strong coalition of males in the Black Rock pride in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve. Unfortunately, the iconic Olobor has been killed due to the conflict between humans and wildlife. Lions became extremely vulnerable and they are silently disappearing.”

“Top of the World” by Sascha Fonseca. Location: Ladakh, Indian Himalayas.
“A young snow leopard surveys the valley, curiously investigating my camera trap.”

“Brotherhood” by Daisy Gilardini. Location: Wapuks NP, Manitoba, Canada.
“The bond between mother and offspring, and between sibling and sibling, is very strong. It's the only social structure among normally solitary polar bears to be recognized and identified by scientists. Playing, chasing, wrestling, fighting, cuddling, and napping together are all part of daily life for a young bear. The cubs engage in fun and games that prepare them for their roles in life later on. Once weaned, the siblings will stick together for a while, hunting and playing.
Mothers are extremely patient with their cubs, allowing them to bite, jump, and pirouet all over and around her.”

“A Slice of Heaven in the Tuamotus” by Emmett Sparling. Location: Tahanea, Tuamotus, French Polynesia.
“On our first night in the Tuamotus, we stopped in Tahanea—an uninhabited atoll deep in this stunning archipelago. We had a perfectly windless evening where the ocean turned to glass. The next morning, the water was still glassy, and a group of black-tip reef sharks patrolled the waters around our boat. Rainbows and sharks are common subjects in the Tuamotus, two things I'll never get used to.”

“Nyinggulu Blue” by Lewis Burnett. Location: Nyinggulu Coast, Western Australia.
“The Great Hammerhead is without a doubt one of the most spectacular sharks on our planet. Whilst listed as Endangered on the IUCN red list worldwide, there is thankfully a healthy population in some of the tidal regions of Northern Australia. Specialized in hunting stingrays and other fishes hidden beneath the seafloor, they can often be found cruising across the sandy flats and lagoons of the Ningaloo Reef.”

“The Wave Washers” by Bertie Gregory. Location: Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica.
“A pod of B1 Antarctic killer whales preparing to ‘wave wash’ a Weddell seal off a piece of sea ice and into the water so they can eat it. The bubbles are thought to be part of the way they communicate with each other to form these waves. The symmetry of the killer whales demonstrates their unbelievable coordination and team work to produce waves. If they are out of sync by the smallest amount, the wave energy generated would counteract each other. I've never photographed an animal that so clearly demonstrates its intelligence and creativity. It sounds ridiculous to say, but these animals really are using their imaginations and teamwork to generate a unique wave for each piece of ice to hit a target they cannot see at the point they're making the wave. Their population is estimated to be just 100 individuals, and it is declining at a rate of 5% per year due to climate change reducing ice cover—their primary prey (Weddell seal) is now spending more time resting on land rather than on ice floes. It's feared this wave washing culture will soon go extinct.”

“Peekaboo” by Cristina Mittermeier. Location: British Columbia, Canada.
“There are moments like this when I simply happen to be in the right place at the right time, my eye trained on the tiny signals of life stirring beneath the surface. I waited until one of the orcas we had been watching rose from the water to peek at our boat just as a gull was swooping down from the skies. For a split second, it was like all the forces of nature conspired for the perfect composition.”

“Spinner dolphins” by Hussain Aga Khan. Location: Sataya, Egypt.
“Once again it seems as if holy light were shining down on my precious and beloved subjects. The spinner dolphins here were in shallow water – easier to get to. Holding one’s breath is hard, though, and always seems a struggle to me. Hence, capturing an image like this one under duress is always a delight.”

“Between Two Worlds” by Kori Burkhardt. Location: Moorea, French Polynesia.
“A curious humpback whale taking a closer look at the humans in its world. The humpback whales of French Polynesia are often playful, but this particular whale spent hours circling us in the water, dancing beneath our feet and spy hopping within arm's reach, as if to join us in our world like we had theirs.”

“Golden fur” by Chris Schmid. Location: Tarangire, Tanzania.
“This photograph captures the serene and peaceful image of a lioness resting on a branch at sunset in Tarangire. The warm hues of the sunset create a beautiful contrast against the lioness's golden fur, highlighting her grace and strength. The composition of the image evokes a sense of tranquility and calm, inviting viewers to take a moment to appreciate the beauty of nature.”

“Pumas of Patagonia” by Lucas Bustamante. Location: Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile.
“Despite pumas being the most widely distributed wild, terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere, finding a healthy population of them is more complicated every time. Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and depletion of its prey base due to poaching are their main threats. However, due to a 25-year vision and conservation initiatives, pumas roam and thrive in the Chilean Patagonia, being the best place to admire them in the wild, surrounded by the mesmerizing landscape of the Torres del Paine.”

“Serenity” by Jenni Teron. Location: Northern Norway.
“​​In the serene depths of northern Norway's waters, amidst the hushed tranquility of the ocean floor, a female orca gracefully navigates through the stillness, her sleek form cutting through the tranquil waters as she tracks the annual herring migration. This moment of silent beauty encapsulates the profound connection between predator and prey in the underwater realm.”

“Web of Water” by Chris Web. Location: Iceland.
” A river of glacier water twists and turns, running over and under and through itself as it moves in every direction yet the same direction all at once. Photographed from a small Cessna over the Icelandic Highlands in Landmannalaugar. The patterns and water movements in these river deltas are so intricate and complex with their tendrils wrapping every which way. It is quite possibly the most beautiful natural abstracts on earth. These melt waters start in the highlands after the winter thaw out, flowing here in the Tungnaá River, and eventually make their way to the ocean with every twist and turn in this remarkable journey.”

“Luminary” by © Drew Doggett
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“Eternal Bond” by © Drew Doggett

“Celestial Light” by © Drew Doggett

“Trinity” by © Drew Doggett

“Untamed Spirit” by © Drew Doggett

“Reflection” by © Drew Doggett

“Black Diamond” by © Drew Doggett

“Etched in Stone” by © Drew Doggett

“Éthéré” by © Drew Doggett

“Ocean Escape” by © Drew Doggett

“Fifi and Faustino” by Jane Goodall. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“Jou Jou and Dr. Jane Goodall, Brazzaville Zoo, Republic of Congo, 1990” by Michael “Nick” Nichols. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“Self Portrait” by Jane Goodall. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“Giraffes” by Marina Cano. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“The Hug” by Daisy Gilardini. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“Back to the Wild” by Ami Vitale. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“Submergence” by Michaela Skovranova. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“King of the Arctic” by Melissa Schäfer. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“The Big Buzz Bee Ball” by Karine Aigner. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“The Feast” by Cristina Mittermeier. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“Barn Owl X” by Beth Moon. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“Love at South Georgia” by Malin Hanning. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“Balance” by Sapna Reddy. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“Snow Geese” by Melissa Groo. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“Caribou at Anaktuvuk Pass” by Katie Orlinsky. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“Princess of Tundra” by Evgenia Arbugaeva. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“Brenda and Her Mother” by Luisa Dörr. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“Dusk Bloom” by Tamara Dean. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“Aerial Battle” by Kathryn Cooper. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

“Heinabergsjökull Glacier” by Deanne Fitzmaurice. Courtesy of Vital Impacts.

Detail 

“Ocean Drifter” by Ryan Stalker. British Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 and Winner of Coast & Marine
Species: Goose barnacles (Thoracica) Location: Portland, Dorset, England
“Ocean Drifter is a photo of a football that is covered in goose barnacles below the waterline. Above the water is just a football. But below the waterline is a colony of creatures. The football was washed up in Dorset after making a huge ocean journey across the Atlantic and then returned to the sea for the photo to be taken. Goose barnacles are not native to the UK but can wash up on our shores during powerful Atlantic storms. Although the ball is waste, and should not be in the sea, I do wonder about the journey the ball has been on. From initially being lost, then spending time in the tropics where the barnacles are native and perhaps years in the open ocean before arriving in Dorset. However, this waste can also bring creatures that may survive in UK waters and could become invasive species. More human waste in the sea could increase the risk of more creatures making it to our shores.”

“Running on Water” by Max Wood. RSPB Young British Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023 and Winner, 15-17 Years
Species: Coot (Fulica atra) Location: Frensham Little Pond, Surrey, England
“I woke up at 4:45 am with the hope of capturing backlit waterfowl images at Frensham Pond in Surrey. I lay down at the edge of the pond and waited for the birds to become active. As the morning progressed, rays of sunlight began to shine through trees along the edge of the pond, creating spotlights in the morning mist. This created a beautiful atmosphere, which I aimed to capture in my images. This coot was fleeing a fight, running across the water to take flight through the mist and rays of light.”

“Three’s a Crowd” by Ross Hoddinott. Winner, Hidden Britain
Species: Common blue butterflies (Polyommatus icarus) Location: Vealand Farm, Devon, England
“I think I have a slight addiction to photographing blue butterflies – I just love them! They are such beautiful little insects, and they enhance any wildflower meadow or garden they inhabit. Blues are quite social insects, and they can often be found roosting quite close together – or even on the same grass or flower. I found a dozen or so blues all resting close together one evening last summer. Using a shallow depth of field, I decided to ‘frame’ my subject with two out-of-focus butterflies to help add impact and context to my shot. The warm, evening light produced a vibrant natural background.”

“Starling at Night” by Mark Williams. Winner, Animal Portraits
Species: Common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Location: Garden, Solihull, West Midlands, England
“I had been observing the birds in my garden as they fed on sunflower seeds and peanuts from the feeder for some time. I aimed to capture the sense of movement and flight patterns in my images while still preserving the fine details of the birds. To achieve this, I used flash in rear curtain sync mode. Timing was crucial, and I needed to carefully balance the flash with the ambient light to record the starling’s trail at the beginning of the exposure, while a brief burst of flash would freeze the bird in mid-flight.”

“Dancing in the Dark” by Matthew Glover. Runner-up, Animal Behaviour
Species: Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) Location: Killingworth, North Tyneside, England
“‘Dancing in the Dark’ portrays a pair of great crested grebes engaged in their courtship ritual at sunrise. This carefully choreographed dance serves to strengthen their bonds during the mating season. The photo was captured in the early hours on an urban lake in North Tyneside – once a former mining site, now thriving with wildlife, it hosts up to four separate pairs of grebes, competing for territory and displaying their flamboyant courtship style. Spending considerable time with these birds, I’ve learned to anticipate their courtship ‘dances’ and be prepared to capture these beautiful moments.”

“Three Frogs in Amplexus” by Ian Mason. Winner, Animal Behaviour
Species: Common frog (Rana temporaria) Location: Perthshire, Scotland
“Every March, our garden ponds suddenly come alive with hundreds of frogs that seem to appear overnight from nowhere. I have been photographing them for many years, and I am always fascinated and amused by their antics. Here, there has been a competition to mate with a female. For a lot of the time there is a frenzy of activity, but sometimes they freeze long enough to get a shot. The image is taken with the lens at water level, and the background is a distant larch tree.”

“Sunrise Hare” by Spencer Burrows. Runner-up, Animal Portraits
Species: Brown hare (Lepus europaeus) Location: Nottinghamshire, England
“I’m fortunate enough to have access to a private farm and have spent a lot of time with brown hares over the past couple of years. During this time, I’ve invested many hours into developing fieldcraft and gaining a good understanding of their behavior, allowing me to get close without disturbing the animal – hares are often skittish. For this image, I lay low and silent in a spot of the field they tend to follow from the hedgerow. This hare was very relaxed and allowed me to capture some portraits as the sun was starting to rise over the field.”

“Beech for the Sky” by Graham Niven. Winner, Wild Woods
Species: Beech (Fagus sylvatica) Location: East Lothian, Scotland
“Beech tree grove near Dunbar in East Lothian. When the leaves are almost gone, the branches show their ‘canopy shyness’ – a phenomenon observed in many species of trees in which the crowns of mature trees do not touch each other. In doing so, the trees form a canopy that has channel-like gaps which, when photographed from below, appear to create an intricate network of channels between the respective canopies. Besides the wondrous vision you are afforded, it’s also just a great excuse to lie down in the forest.”

“The Tightrope Walker” by Daniel Valverde Fernandez. Winner, Habitat
Species: Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) Location: Sherwood Pines Forest Park, Nottinghamshire, England
“In this image, you can see a red fox walking along a tree branch at a considerable height from the ground, demonstrating that these animals are true tightrope walkers of nature. The fox is perfectly framed between the branches and its silhouette is subtly highlighted by the sun’s rays falling on it.”

“Tiny Forest Balloons” by Jason McCombe. Winner, Botanical Britain
Species: Slime mold (Comatricha nigra) Location: Essex, England
“The world of slime molds is fascinating. They’re neither plants nor fungi. I had never noticed them before, but when I set out to find some to photograph, I discovered that, if conditions are right, they’re everywhere! They’re just so small that if you are not looking for them you will simply overlook them. Each head on these fruiting bodies is approximately 1mm wide, and the depth of field when shooting at such high magnification is so shallow that focus stacking is required. This image was made using 160 images, each focused on a different area of the scene, then stacked together to create one highly detailed image.”

“Squirrel Silhouette” by Rosamund Macfarlane. Runner-up, Black & White
Species: Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) Location: Cumbria, England
“Red squirrels are native and cherished in Cumbria, although they face competition and disease from grey squirrels. These charming creatures visit our garden daily for hazelnuts, and I can capture their antics without causing disturbance. During winter, when food is scarce, providing for them feels like helping our native population. This spring, young kits joined the adults for breakfast, and capturing their dynamic movements against the sky was a fascinating challenge.”

“Raven Above Arran” by Robin Dodd. Winner, Black & White
Species: Raven (Corvus corax) Location: Isle of Arran, Scotland
“This is a shot from the top of Goatfell on the Isle of Arran, which is the highest mountain on the island. It was a lovely hike to the top on a bright summer afternoon after arriving by ferry a few hours before. When we reached the summit, it was deserted except for two ravens who seemed to dominate the peak. We sat for some time, observing these birds gliding over Arran just as gracefully as any bird of prey. It’s a harsh yet beautiful world they inhabit. This image is in black and white and consists of two shots, focus stacked.”

“Spring’s Treasures” by Jamie Smart. Winner, 11 and under
Species: Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) Location: Mid Wales
“We got up very, very early one cold (-5°C), misty morning in spring in an effort to try to find some boxing hares up on the moorland. On our way there, I spotted this pheasant sitting on a farm gate in the morning sunrise. I made Dad stop the car and reverse slowly, quietly opened my car window, and managed to get this photo of him in all his beauty, with the blackthorn blossom behind him and the sun rays lighting up his copper breast feathers. As it happens, we didn’t get to see any hares boxing that morning, but Mr. Pheasant making this appearance really made up for it!”

“Mother and Fawn” by Felix Walker-Nix. Winner, 12-14 years
Species: Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) Location: Sherfield on Loddon, England
“Walking through the woods, I spotted this roe doe grazing the foliage. Slowly, I crept towards her, careful not to startle her. To my delight, when she turned around, I saw a small fawn staring back at me! Keeping quiet, I raised the camera to take some photos, then swiftly left so I didn’t disturb the young fawn and mother any longer. It was an incredible experience to see a ‘humbug’ patterned fawn before it lost its spots, and it was a magical experience to get so close.”

“Rainbow at Dawn” by Martin Stevens. Runner-up, Botanical Britain
Species: Rainbow wrack (Cystoseira tamariscifolia) Location: Falmouth, Cornwall, England
“I’ve had a mild obsession with rainbow wrack seaweed for years, with its spectacular iridescent blue color. I’d taken many photos of it before, but I had long had in mind a split shot of it in a rock pool at sunrise. It required planning and luck because the seaweed only grows back in spring, being most colorful for a few weeks before the summer sun dulls its color. I needed a low tide to expose the pools, in sync with sunrise – and a sunny morning! Fortunately, on one day it all came together. Taken with strobes on low power to light the seaweed.”

“Daisy Danger” by Lucien Harris. Runner-up, Hidden Britain
Species: Flower crab spider (Misumena vatia) and Honey bee (Apis mellifera) Location: Lee Mill, Devon, England
“This photo was taken in a patch of land along the A30 in Devon that has been left untouched for a long time, making it a haven for wildflowers and the wildlife that inhabits it. Using the Laowa wide-angle macro lens, I aimed to capture this scene. While walking, I came across a flower crab spider wrestling with a bee on an ox-eye daisy. The light was behind the subject, which backlit the flower nicely. However, the spider itself was quite dark, so I used some flashes and homemade flash diffusers to illuminate it. This allowed me to capture the deadly strength of these ambush predators.“

“Day Walker” by Simon Withyman. Winner, Urban Wildlife
Species: Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) Location: Bristol, England
“This vixen had taken up residence in an electricity substation after being pushed out of her parental territory. The fenced-off area provided her with a quiet place to rest away from the busy city. She would often walk along this wall, and I was able to capture this photo through the gaps in the metal fencing, while making the most of some striking lens flare.”

“Fire in the Night” by Dan Bolt. Runner-up, Coast & Marine
Species: Fireworks anemone (Pachycerianthus multiplicatus) Location: Loch Fyne, Scotland
“Fluorescence photography requires specialist filters: one ‘exciter’ filter on your white-light source to create the blue light and another ‘barrier’ filter in front of your lens to reduce the ambient light reaching your sensor. These dual filters mean that high ISOs and open apertures are very much required in order to capture the excited, or fluoresced, light. The subject requires a careful approach too; these anemones live in very still water and are sensitive to the slightest movement. If disturbed, they will retract in mere seconds.”

“What’s All the Fuss About?” by Will Palmer. Runner-up, Urban Wildlife
Species: Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England
“In this photograph, the Arctic walrus who had come ashore to rest on the harbor slipway in Scarborough has lifted its head as a car passed on Foreshore Road. The image is lit by the streetlights to the left and features the town’s fishing boats in the background. Despite being taken handheld at 1/80th of a second at f/1.6, an ISO of 6400 was still needed to properly expose Thor and the slipway at 2:28 am.”

“Into the Mist” by Philip Selby. Runner-up, Wild Woods
Species: Beech (Fagus sylvatica) Location: Badbury Hill, Oxfordshire, England
“On the remains of an Iron Age hill fort on Badbury Hill in Oxfordshire, Badbury Clump is an area of wonderful beech woodland, carpeted in bluebells each spring. Like most photographers during those precious few weeks of spring, it’s a time of anxious weather forecast watching, hoping that atmospheric weather conditions and schedules align. Luckily, the woodland was shrouded in dense fog on this particular morning, and the vibrant new beech leaves and subtle hues of the bluebells added a contrasting splash of color to the otherwise monochromatic scene.”

“Ice Bed” by Nima Sarikhani, UK. Winner, People's Choice Award. Location: Off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, Norway.
“A polar bear carves out a bed from a small iceberg before drifting off to sleep in the far north, off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago. Having spent three days desperately searching for polar bears through thick fog in the far north off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, the expedition vessel Nima was on decided to change course. It turned and headed to the southeast, where there was still some sea ice. Here, they encountered a younger and an older male and watched the pair over the following eight hours. Just before midnight, the young male clambered onto a small iceberg and, using his strong paws, clawed away at it to carve out a bed for himself before drifting off to sleep.”

“The Happy Turtle” by Tzahi Finkelstein, Israel. Highly Commended, People's Choice Award. Location: Jezreel Valley, Israel
“A Balkan pond turtle shares a moment of peaceful coexistence with a northern banded groundling dragonfly in Israel’s Jezreel Valley.
Tzahi was positioned in his hide in Israel’s Jezreel Valley, photographing shore birds, when he spotted a Balkan pond turtle walking in the shallow water. At first, he wasn’t interested in it and carried on watching the birds. It wasn’t until a northern banded groundling dragonfly flew past his lens in the direction of the turtle that his focus changed. The dragonfly unexpectedly landed on the turtle’s nose, but instead of snapping up the insect, the turtle appeared to be experiencing pleasure from the interaction as they shared a moment of peaceful coexistence in the midst of the swamp’s murky waters.”

“Shared Parenting” by Mark Boyd, Kenya. Highly Commended, People's Choice Award. Location: Maasai Mara, Kenya
“A pair of lionesses devotedly groom one of the pride’s five cubs in Kenya’s Maasai Mara. Early in the morning, Mark watched as these lionesses groomed one of their five cubs in their territory in Kenya’s Maasai Mara. The evening before, they’d set off to hunt, leaving the cubs hidden overnight in dense bushes. Returning from their unsuccessful mission, they’d called the cubs out onto the open grassland. Females raise each other’s cubs as their own, sharing parenting duties. Here the youngster was clearly enjoying the moment of affection and attention.”

“Aurora Jellies” by Audun Rikardsen, Norway. Highly Commended, People's Choice Award. Location: Tromsø, Northern Norway
“Moon jellyfish swarm in the cool autumnal waters of a fjord outside Tromsø in northern Norway illuminated by the aurora borealis. It’s common for this species to gather in their hundreds under the aurora borealis. Sheltering his equipment in a self-made waterproof housing, Audun used a single exposure as well as his own system for adjusting the focus and aperture during the exposure. This enabled him to capture the reflection of the sky’s colors on the surface of the water and, at the same time, light up the jellyfish with flashes. Moon jellyfish are common in all oceans and are easily recognized by their four rings, which are, in fact their genitals.”

“Starling Murmuration” by Daniel Dencescu, Germany/Romania. Highly Commended, People's Choice Award. Location: Rome, Italy
“A mesmerizing mass of starlings swirl into the shape of a giant bird on their way to communal roosts above the city of Rome, Italy. Daniel was mesmerized by the movements of the starlings as they formed colossal organic shapes in the sky. Each day, as they returned from foraging, they would gather in large numbers and perform spellbinding aerial shows, known as murmurations, on their flight home to their communal roosts. In a bid to locate the best roosting sites at which to capture the spectacle, Daniel spent hours following the starlings around the city and suburbs of Rome. Finally, on this cloudless winter’s day, the flock didn’t disappoint, swirling into the shape of a giant bird.”