Highly commended photographs | BTO - British Trust for Ornithology

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Goldfinches, by Edmund Fellowes / BTO

Here are the highly commended photos from our exclusive 90th Anniversary Members’ Photo Competition held earlier this year.

A Star is Born
Fishermen’s Friends
The Usual Suspects

The Social Network
City Slickers
The Big Country

A selection of these beautiful photos will feature in the 2024 BTO calendar, available from the BTO Shop.

A Star is Born – highly commended photos

A unique photograph composed in such a way as to leave space for the BTO logo as well as the cover text.

A Crested Tit perched on the end of a lichen-covered stick, against a blurred winter woodland background. — Crested Tit, by Nicholas Weston

A greyscale photograph of a singing Song Thrush in a tree in winter, silhouetted against dramatic sunlit clouds. — Song Thrush, by Alicia Hayden

Two Shelducks fighting in mid-air, just above the water, with wings outstretched and their necks entwined. — Shelducks, by Simon Slade

Fisherman’s Friends – highly commended photos

Birds usually found around the coast, out to sea or on rivers or wetlands.

A Great Crested Grebe swimming on a still, misty lake. — Great Crested Grebe, by Matthew Bingham

Two male Mute Swans fighting on the water. They are pressing their chests together with their necks entwined and their wings outstretched. They are surrounded by water droplets from their splashing. — Mute Swans, by Jeremy Dexter

The Usual Suspects – highly commended photos

Birds which are easily seen day to day.

A Nuthatch facing down a tree branch, with its head tilted, and its eye, beak and face in clear focus. — Nuthatch, by Kate Fry

Two Goldfinches flying towards each other, seen from above, with their wings outstretched and their beaks nearly touching. — Goldfinches, by Tony Pay

A Yellowhammer perched on a lichen-encrusted fencepost, with dried grass nesting material in its beak. — Yellowhammer, by David Edge

More than one bird; a small group or a large flock.

An adult Starling perches on a weathered branch, with a juvenile Starling on each side. The young birds are begging for food with their beaks wide open, leaning in towards the adult. — Starlings, by David Hiley

A line of Sanderling in winter plumage run along the edge of the waves on a sandy beach. — Sanderling, by Conrad Dickinson

A dense flock of birds is in flight over an estuary. The sun is illuminating the birds, making them appear gold, and there is a line of golden vegetation on the horizon. — Knot, by Julia Bevan

City Slickers – highly commended photos

Birds in an urban environment.

A Mute Swan walking along a canal towpath with graffiti in the background. — Mute Swan, by Alicia Hayden

Four Starlings with iridescent green and purple plumage bathe in a bird bath, surrounded by water droplets. — Starlings, by David Tomlinson

A young House Martin lands on a lichen-encrusted slate roof, with its wings outstretched. — House Martin, by Philip Croft

The Big Country – highly commended photos

Birds in the highlands, lowlands, farmland or woodland.

A Goldcrest hangs upside down from a slender, lichen-encrusted branch. — Goldcrest, by Ben Reavey

A Greenfinch perches on top of an oilseed rape plant with seeds in its beak, against a blurred green arable field.. — Greenfinch, by Matthew Bingham

A Short-eared Owl soars over winter grassland in golden light. — Short-eared Owl, by David Hiley

Behind blurred autumn leaves, a Tawny Owl sits inside a hole in a tree trunk. — Tawny Owl, by Conrad Dickinson

View the winning photographs >

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