A picture of a fox waiting at a cashpoint and a bird feeding off ticks on a deer, were also recognised in this year’s contest, which explored mammalian connections with wildlife, humans, and the landscapes around them.
Gary Watson, from Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands, claimed first place overall winner with his stunning photo of a squirrel keeping a close eye on a bee.
He said: “This beautiful wee red squirrel was playing in the trees in a spot I frequent near Elgin. It just so happened that the bee flew by. It’s lovely the things you see when you sit and wait for nature to come to you.” Judge and wildlife photographer Craig Jones added: “Two different worlds in one interaction are captured beautifully here. The look of wonder and curiosity from the squirrel looking at the bee tells such a wonderful story.”
Gordon Roach, from Ballindalloch in Scotland, won second place in the competition for his photo ‘Stoat Kits Playing’.
He said: “Having had the occasional garden visit by a stoat, one of my lockdown projects was to build a dry-stone wall with a pipe network. This has the desired effect and I regularly saw a stoat using it and then kits playing during that summer.” Dani Connor, judge and wildlife photographer, commented on the photo: “What an exceptional moment of a species you don’t see often!”
A photo of a tiny vole playing in a shed claimed third prize in the contest and was taken by Jon Kelf, from Norfolk.
He said: “It started when I became disabled at the end of 2019 with Stiff Person Syndrome. I could hardly get out of the house so could only get to the patio to photograph wildlife. Then lockdown happened so the voles got lots of attention. I did notice that at times, the voles were in my shed and greenhouse so one day I sat patiently and watched. It wasn't long before one appeared by my work boots!”
The under 18 category of the competition was won by 15-year-old Beau Healy for her photo, Two for Joy, showing a bird pecking parasites off a deer in Richmond Park in London.
She said: “The birds feed on the skin parasites that feed on the deer, and the deer get rid of the irritating ticks and fleas.”
“It was very tough to decide on the final list of Highly Commended photos from the judges’ choices,” said Alana Scott, communications officer at the Mammal Society. We had such a diverse array of hundreds of amazing portrayals of mammal connections. A huge thank you to everyone who entered the competition to show the connections mammals share with us, each other, and their environments.”
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