BWPA 2023 Winners
Overall Winner
“A Look to the Future” by Charlie Page
Red fox. Lee Valley Park.
I knew this area was reliable for foxes, and I wanted a shot with the industrial backdrop. One day when setting up my camera with a remote shutter release, a fox approached from my left. Hesitant about what to do, I stayed still, and surprisingly the fox stopped right in my frame. I took the shot but was confused why it had come so close. In hindsight, this encounter probably tells the story more than the photo itself. Wildlife has become used to us encroaching on them. I think the felled tree and longing look on the fox’s face portray this tragedy perfectly. I hope that all wildlife photography doesn’t look like this in years to come.
Animal Behaviour
Category Winner
“Hitching a Lift” by James Roddie
Common toad. Cromarty, Scotland.
Runner-up
“Pike Courtship” by Robert Cuss
Northern pike. Leicestershire, England.
Highly Commended
"Her Secret World" by Nick Gates
"Toads Spawning" by Richard Ayrton
"The Ambush" by Frank Thompson
"Hare Tango" by Sarah Hanson
Animal Portraits
Category Winner
“Sleeping With Dandelions” by Lewis Newman
Red fox. London, England.
Runner-up
“Willughby’s Leafcutter Bee” by Ed Phillips
Willughby’s leaf cutter bee. Staffordshire, England.
Highly Commended
"Gannet" by Henley Spiers
"Mountain Hare" by Danny Green
"Summer Doe" by Ewan Crosbie
"The Three Little Graces" by Virginia Grey
Botanical Britain
Category Winner
“A Poet’s Lunch” by Matt Doogue
Sundew. Sevilla Forest, Scotland.
Runner-up
“Snow Globe” by Geraint Radford
Moss sporophyte. Swansea, Wales.
Highly Commended
"Fungal Cathedral" by Peter Warne
"Poppy" by Paula Cooper
"Common Spotted Orchid" by Ross Hoddinott
"Star Spangled" by David Maitland
Black & White
Category Winner
“Great Mell Fell” by Matthew Turner
Lake District, England.
Runner-up
“Soaring” by Paula Cooper
Gannet. Bass Rock, Scotland.
Highly Commended
"Ethereal Gannet" by Koshy Johnson
"Blue Shark at Night" by Charles Hood
"Safe Passage" by Alex Mustard
"Murmuration" by Paula Cooper
Coast & Marine
Category Winner
“Welcome to the Zoo(plankton)” by Henley Spiers
Jellyfish. Shetland, Scotland.
Runner-up
“Alien Bobtail” by Kirsty Andrews
Bobtail squid. Devon, England.
Highly Commended
"Satellite of Life" by Henley Spiers
"Captured" by Aaron Sanders
"Blue Shark Portrait" by Nicholas More
Habitat
Category Winner
“Stag by the Loch Side” by Neil McIntyre
Red deer. Western Highlands, Scotland.
Runner-up
“Looking at You” by Peter Bartholomew
Mountain hare. Cairngorms, Scotland.
Highly Commended
"The Tourist" by Ian Wood
"Twice Shy" by Tom Robinson
Hidden Britain
Category Winner
“Honey Bee Flight Trail” by John Waters
Western honey bee. Bristol, England.
Runner-up
“Metallic Jumping Spider in Moss” by Will Atkins
Jumping spider. Dorset, England.
Highly Commended
"Glowing Cans" by Daryl Smith
"Silhouetted Banded Demoiselle" by Ross Hoddinott
"Hidden in White" by Daniel Trim
"Mayfly at Sunset" by Andrew Rouse
Urban Wildlife
Category Winner
“A Look to the Future” by Charlie Page
Red fox. Lee Valley Park, England.
Runner-up
“Helter Skelter” by Matthew Cattell
Starling. Brighton, England.
Highly Commended
"Urban Reflections" by Simon Withyman
"Amber Nesting" by Daniel Trim
"Pine Marten in an Abandoned Cottage" by James Roddie
"Robin Apocalypse" by Yaso Browne
"Roe Deer Amongst the Headstones" by Daniel Trim
Wild Woods
Category Winner
“Mystical Forest” by Philip Selby
Beech. Oxfordshire, England.
Runner-up
“Forest Dawn” by Graham Niven
Caledonian pine forest. Abernethy, Scotland.
Highly Commended
"Tawny Owl Chicks" by James Roddie
"Secret Space" by Andy Farrer
"Gills" by Ross Hoddinott
"Shades of Autumn" by Philip Selby
British Seasons
Category Winner
“A Year in the Life of a Pair of Great Crested Grebes” by Robin Lowry
Great crested grebe. Essex, England.
Documentary Series
Category Winner
“RSPCA Mallydams Wood Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre” by Emma Jacobs
Red fox, herring gull, tawny owl, hedgehog, common guillemot, and common seal. East Sussex, England.
Video Award
The Fox and the Allotment - Dominic Simmons
Category Winner
The Waltz of the Curlew - Sam Hopes
Runner-up
The Wildlife of Shetland - Nick McCaffrey
Highly Commended
The River - Mark Barrow
Highly Commended
RSPB Young British Wildlife Photographer of the Year
“Branching Out ” by Billy Evans-Freke
Tawny owl. East Sussex, England.
I was sitting outside when I heard some blackbirds going mental in the woodland next to my house. I went in to have a look, as I knew that meant there was a tawny owl out and about. Whilst searching for this elusive owl, however, I heard a high-pitched squeak. My heart leapt into action as I knew that this meant that somewhere nearby was a tawny owlet! After ten minutes or so, I had got closer to the owlet but still hadn’t spotted it. Then I suddenly caught a white ball of fluff in the corner of my eye. I manoeuvred myself into a better position so that I had a nicer background and started taking shots.
RSPB 15-17 Years
Category Winner
“Branching Out” by Billy Evans-Freke
Tawny owl. East Sussex, England.
Runner-up
“Double Vision” by Maddison Foreman
Starling. Knottingley, England.
Highly Commended
"Sleepy Seal" by Dan Hancock-Smith
RSPB 12-14 Years
Category Winner
“What's Over There?” by Felix Walker-Nix
Brown hare. Winchester, England.
Runner-up
“Water Droplets” by Joel Osborn
Eurasian otter. Isle of Mull, Scotland.
Highly Commended
"Male Stonechat on Gorse" by William Lambourne
RSPB 11 and Under
Category Winner
“Vine Wevill” by Wilbur King
Black vine weevil. Devon, England.
Runner-up
“Hungry Hummingbird Hawk Moth” by Whitaker Walker
Hummingbird hawk-moth. Devon, England.
Highly Commended
"Scilly Blackbird" by Wilbur King