Author: Kirsten Osa

Curlews by Keith White

Photo Competition 2026 — Winners

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Results of the 2026 Photographic and Art Competition

After a three-year gap, we were delighted to see the return of our annual Photographic and Art Competition this year. This was made possible thanks to Ian Taylor, who kindly stepped forward to organise the competition once again.

The competition attracted a great variety of entries from our members. As always, the standard of photography was very high, making the voting at our AGM a difficult task.

A big thank you to Ian for all his hard work in putting the event together, to everyone who submitted their photos, and congratulations to this year’s winners.

Here are the winning entries in each category:

Birds in Britain
First place
Second place
Third place

–
Curlews by Keith White
Common Tern by Steve Casson
Gannet Love by Steve Casson

Birds outside Britain
First place
Second place
Third place

–
Bee Eater by Roger Forder
Lustful Cuckoo by Ian Taylor
Tied Three Ways – Not Awarded

Beasts and Beasties
First place
Second place
Third place

–
Leopard Cub by Mike Harrison
Brown Hare by Gill Pullinger
Wild Dog by Mike Harrison

Plants and fungi
First place
Second place
Third place

–
Bee Orchid by Richard Cheeseman
Slime Mould by Kirsten Osa
The Path Taken by June Seabrook

Landscapes
First place
Second place
Third place

–
Verdant Valley by Keith White
Dawn Reeds by Gill Pullinger
Snowdonia from Ffestiniog Railway by John Axtell

Best in Show
First place
Second place
Third Place

(The Koniotes Award)
Curlews by Keith White
Bee Eater by Roger Forder
Leopard Cub by Mike Harrison

Here are the winning entries in each category:

Photo Competition 2023 — winners

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Results of the 2023 Photographic and art competition

The competition was a great success, with 74 photos and one drawing submitted. Let’s have even more entries next time.

With the usual high standard, choosing just one from each category was no easy task. Thanks to all the contributors and congratulations to the winners.

Here are the winning entries in each category:

Birds in Britain
First place
Second place
Third place

–
Angus Lamont – “Great Crested Grebe”
Tony Cummins – “Water rail”
Nicky Cooke – “Vain Moorhen and company”

Birds outside Britain
First place
Second place
Joint third place

–
Jane Stevenson – “King Penguins”
Angus Lamont – “Northern Emerald Toucanet”
Andrew Kingston – “Lilian’s Lovebird at Nest”
Andrew Kingston – “African Wood Owl”

Beasts and Beasties
First place
Second place
Third place

–
Andrew Kingston – “Thick-legged Flower Beatle on Ox-eye Daisy”
Angus Lamont – “Baby & Mother Sloth”
Jane Stevenson – “Mountain Gorillas”

Plants and fungi
First place
Second place
Third place

–
Angus Lamont – “Frosted Fig”
Richard Cheeseman – “Chicken of the Woods”
John Axtell – “Crocosmia”

Landscapes
First place
Second place
Third place

–
Richard Cheeseman — “Reflections”
Nick Baxter — “Wey and Arun Canal”
John Axtell — “Wells Cathedral“

The Koniotes Award
First place
Joint second place

(for the best overall)
Richard Cheeseman – “Reflections”
Andrew Kingston – “Thick-legged Flower Beatle on Ox-eye Daisy”
Jane Stevenson – “King Penguins South Georgia”
Angus Lamont – “Baby & Mother Sloth”

A huge thanks to Margo for stepping in as the organiser when Charlie had to stand down. We are going to need someone new next time. Who can take it on and keep this very enjoyable competition going?

For those of you who were unable to attend the AGM, here are the winning images.

In Memory of The Queen

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We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of our patron, Her Majesty The Queen, and offer our condolences to the Royal Family

Dear all,

We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of our patron, Her Majesty The Queen, and offer our heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family.

Her Majesty The Queen showed unwavering support as the patron of the RSPB, for which we remain hugely grateful.  A particular highlight was the reception she hosted at St James’s Palace to celebrate our centenary in 1989. 

Her Majesty The Queen’s role as our patron reflected her dedication to supporting charitable causes and the unstinting devotion to public duty she showed throughout her long reign.

Her Majesty The Queen was well known for her love of the countryside. Stuart Housden, former Director of RSPB Scotland, recalls her passion for the wildlife and landscapes of Scotland in particular, which she regularly visited. 

Her Majesty The Queen took a keen interest in how wildlife was faring on the Balmoral Estate in Aberdeenshire and was so delighted to discover a nest of capercaillie chicks while out horse riding one day that she asked for Stuart to be informed. She also sought advice on how management of the estate could be improved for wildlife, and Stuart was invited by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to see some of the work that had been undertaken.

Her Majesty The Queen was acutely aware of the need to restore natural habitats, for the benefit of wildlife, people and the planet, and through numerous tree planting projects, including The Queen’s Green Canopy initiative to mark her Platinum Jubilee, she was instrumental in encouraging conservation efforts across the world. 

In a speech to launch the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in 2021, Her Majesty The Queen reflected on the scale of the nature and climate emergency and voiced her hope that by “working side by side, we have the ability to solve the most insurmountable problems and triumph over the greatest of adversities”. 

She also spoke of her pride that the baton of environmental protection had been passed on to her son HRH The Prince of Wales and grandson HRH The Duke of Cambridge, and we have no doubt that they will continue her legacy, just as we will continue our work to create a world richer in nature.

We offer our sincere thanks for her unstinting support for our cause.

Beccy

Beccy Speight
Chief Executive