Photos of a Mute swan, Heron and Shelduck were the unanimous winners of the first ever WWT Nikon Photographic Competition. Linda Wright from Monmouth picked up the top prize for general photography with her Mute swan photo taken at WWT Slimbridge. Judge Chris Packham, said: “Choosing Linda’s photograph was a unanimous decision by the judges, but that’s not to say it wasn’t difficult – the standard of entries was very high. The Mute swan is a common species that’s often thought of as a nuisance. This photograph made this swan look extraordinary, and showed the beauty of this overlooked bird.” The competition received over 3,300 entries from people of all ages across the UK.

Nikon UK Press Release

London | United Kingdom - Stunning photographs of three of our most familiar wetland birds – a Mute swan, Heron and Shelduck were the unanimous winners of the first ever WWT Nikon Photographic Competition announced at an awards ceremony held at the WWT London Wetland Centre last night.

The awards celebrated the wealth of wildlife and wetland experiences on offer to visitors at WWT’s nine UK centres and showcased the talent of amateur and junior photographers.

Linda Wright from Monmouth picked up the top prize for general photography with her Mute swan photo taken at WWT Slimbridge. The winner of the Digiscoping category was Eddie Howard from Dorking for his photo of a Heron taken at WWT Arundel, and the Junior winner was Kieran Slater from Stinchcombe, with his photograph of a Shelduck, taken at WWT Martin Mere. Kieran’s winning entry was specially commended by the judge for being a difficult shot to take.

Leading the judging panel, television presenter and WWT Vice President, Chris Packham, said: “Choosing Linda’s photograph was a unanimous decision by the judges, but that’s not to say it wasn’t difficult – the standard of entries was very high. The Mute swan is a common species that’s often thought of as a nuisance. This photograph made this swan look extraordinary, and showed the beauty of this overlooked bird.”

The judging panel also included Tim Hunnable (Group Planning Manager, Nikon UK Limited) Martin Spray (WWT’s Chief Executive), Marcus Hawkins (Digital Camera Magazine), and Kevin Wilmot (Bird Watching magazine). Commenting on the competition, Martin Spray said: “I am delighted to be a member of the judging panel. The range of photographs really captured WWT’s superb range of wetlands and, in particular, wildlife. The competition was a tremendous success, with over 3,300 entries from people of all ages across the UK.”

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