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Home ❯ What we care about ❯ Better places to live ❯ The countryside next door ❯ Somerset: wild at heart – 2023 photo competition winners announced

Somerset: wild at heart – 2023 photo competition winners announced

two birds facing each other on water
True love's dance Becky Davies

We are pleased to announce the winners of our 2023 photo competition – Somerset: wild at heart.

As we hoped, our theme “Somerset: wild at heart” has been interpreted in may different ways. We want to say a massive heartfelt thank you to everyone who entered – we had over 100 entries altogether.

Many thanks to our Chair, Hugh Williams, Andrew Lee, Editor of The Leveller, Ross Alexander of Moment Photography, Bridgwater and Kit Houghton, professional photographer for acting as our judges again this year.

Here are our winners, both of whom will receive a prize of £100.

The adult category winner is Becky Davies with her beautiful shot “True love’s dance” (above).  Our judges love the composition of this photo – and the fact that the birds make a perfect heart shape seemed very appropriate!
Becky said “Thank you so much for choosing my photo as the winner, I am extremely grateful! I often meet up with friends & go for a wander at the beautiful RSPB Ham Wall reserve where the picture was taken. On that day in February we were so lucky to see the mating dance of the Great Crested Grebes. We are so fortunate to have these incredible habitats & wildlife on our doorstep & I really believe we have got to do our bit where we can to look after them for the future.

Our under 18s winner is Zara Lewis who was only 6 when she took this amazing photo of a kingfisher.

a kingfisher perched on a branch over water
King of the reservoir | Zara Lewis

Zara said “Oh wow ,that is amazing, thank you. The day I got this shot was one early Saturday morning, mummy and I went down to Chard Reservoir to watch the sunrise. After we watched it we headed to the bird hide to see if we could spot a Kingfisher. When we go there, there it was, I borrowed mum’s little camera and got several photos. Mummy was very jealous as she has always wanted to get a photo of one“.

Very well done to both of our winners.  You can also see a small selection of some of the entries in the gallery below.

We look forward to doing it all again in 2024!

Somerset: wild at heart

Here are some of our favourite entries to the competition this year. You can click on each image to see it in all its glory.

  • two young children jumping in puddles

    April puddles at the Willow & Wetland Centre - by Barrie Smith

  • flying barn owl

    Heart of a barn owl by Cameron Booth

  • meadow flowers with dew

    Worm's eye view of nature reserve at Chard Reservoir by Deborah Hammond

  • blue tit bird on bare twig

    Blue tit by Deborah Hawkes

  • people sitting near a bonfire

    Friends around the fire by Jonathan Bull

  • a child and dog

    The scent of adventure by Lizzy Rice

  • close up image of a dragonfly on a leaf

    Eye eye! by Loretta O'Grady

  • a horse's head taken by the rider

    Spring is slowly arriving by Tamara Langdon

  • a highland cow

    Highland on the hills by Shanie Leanne

  • fox cub

    Beautiful fox cub being curious at the camera by Clark Warren

  • young rabbit in a field of yellow flowers

    Cute little bunny enjoying the sun by Charlie Badman-Warren (aged 7)

  • a swan on a river iinfront of Glastonbury Tor

    Swan river by Jeanette Broughton

  • boy with cow at agricultural show

    Future farmer - Bath & West Show by Mariana Ciolea

  • a bird with mud in its beak

    Nest building at its finest at Charterhouse, Mendip by Amanda Baldwin

  • lady with dog in woodland

    Maisie at play by Anne Hine

  • peacock butterfly

    Peacock butterfly by Brandon Clapp

  • people being splashed by big wave

    Watchet by Sheila Jordan

  • young woman standing on concrete disc on top of hill

    Glastonbury Tor by Sally Campbell

  • woodland stream

    Steaming morning by Ovidiu Fabian

  • dog swimming

    Fetch by Arlo Bastiman (age 14)

  • silhouette of a bird on a reed

    Morning song by Mary Braddock

  • white bird looking at a cow in a meadow

    Cattle egret and cow by Tony Bridges

  • a young woman and dog in a wildflower meadow

    Wildflower meadow enjoyment, Monksilver by Dinah Whitehead

  • woman and 2 children on a horse and cart

    Goin' to the country by Ade Dangerfield

  • two children throwing autumn leaves

    Let's throw leaves by Sally Lewis

  • two people in a meadow making a heart shape with their arms

    Come on Mum and Dad, show the love by Zara Lewis (age 7)

  • two slugs feeding on a dead snail

    Eeeuw! - but that's nature by Rowan Patterson

  • two grebes feeding their chick on a lake

    Good parenting, Ham Wall by Stephen Collins

  • a thatched bird hide

    Bird hide at Westhay by Roger Ballantine

  • people walking on a wet path by a river

    Receding floods, Langport by Mary Hill

  • close up picture of a dragonfly

    Beautiful demoiselle by Henk Beentje

  • bumble bee on flower

    Busy bumble by Lynda Willis

  • 3 goats on a cliff top

    Three billy goats gruff (Cheddar Gorge) by Tom Wilkinson

  • a view across fields and hedges from horseback

    Pony taking a break and enjoying the view (Quantock Hills) by Estella Fawden (under 18s)

  • dragonfly

    Striking dragon by Kevin Morton

  • solar panels with a plant growing through them

    Nature will win by Roger Stoakley

  • two dogs looking at a pond and a young girl watching them

    Melody, please don't follow them! by Callum McIntyre (age 14)

  • a tree decorated with fairy lights at sunset

    Time to reflect on life by Sam Greenham

  • Two young children running through a wildflower meadow

    Flower power happiness by Pauline Watling

  • misty woodland

    Into the unknown by Zuben Mason, age 17

  • owl chick in nest box

    Owl chick by Ann Wardell

  • Exmoor pony on hilltop

    Spirit of freedom by Dawn Mahoney

  • grey heron taking off above reeds

    Heron at Greylake by Michelle Earl

  • a young child and an adult on the shore watching grey skies

    Storm watching with great grandad by Richard Carpenter

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