From the tiniest of invertebrates to majestic birds of prey, the scope of Essex’s wildlife was presented to a panel of judges who whittled the entries down to the final six category winners.
Since December, the public has been voting for their overall favourite, to be crowned the winner of this years’ competition.
We are pleased to announce the winner of the overall competition is Nigel Harris, with his spectacular image of a bumblebee ‘Collecting Pollen’ taken at Lake Meadows, in Billericay. As the winner of our ‘Captivating Colours’ category, Harris exemplifies the importance of bees in our ecosystem, and how exciting nature on our doorstep can be.
In response to being announced as the winner of the competition, Harris says: “I am absolutely thrilled and delighted to have won and consider it a huge honour, especially in view of the extremely high standard of entries this year from so many talented photographers. I would like to thank everyone who voted and of course the judges for choosing my photo as one of the category winners.
Harris continues: “I am lucky to have Lake Meadows Park close to my home in Billericay, and I often go there with my camera to connect with nature and try to capture some images of the wildlife that I encounter on my walks. The park offers something different throughout the seasons and the colourful flower meadow is always beautiful in the summertime. I like to stop there awhile and look for insect life to photograph against the bright colours and that's how I came to take the 'Collecting Pollen' image.”
Harris’ was not the only image to present Essex’s intricate invertebrates. ‘Gardener’s World’ category winner Neil Phillips showcased another bee species, the red mason bee, amongst an artificial habitat. Meanwhile, the ‘Pattern and Texture’ title was taken by Jennifer Spittle, who captured the much-loved ladybird among a myriad of colours and texture - a sensory triumph.
Other category winners showcased the variety of bird species to be witnessed in Essex. From the juvenile sparrowhawk at Rainham Marshes winning the ‘Wilder Essex’ category for Karl Price, the spotted flycatcher appearing just long enough for Ben Rumsby to snap his shot and take first place in the ‘Young Blood’ category, and Neil Schofield capturing the barn owl flying overhead with its merciless prey, birds have a significant feature in this years’ winning line-up.
