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Essay Competition Winners 2025

Here are some wonderful images that have been submitted throughout the months of March and April 2025. Thank you to all those who have submitted their photos.

Photo of different lichens covering a rock

Lichen Rock

Taken at Curbar Edge. February, 2025.

Sandra
Sheffield u3a

Photo of a nest of herons

Hungry Heron Chicks

I love to see the prehistoric looking Heron chicks in early Spring. These are nesting along the river Ravensbourne in South East London right beside the Docklands Light Railway line.

Jenny
Abbey Wood and Thamesmead u3a

Photo of damp moss

Moss with rain drops

On the brickwork of a Victorian railway bridge in Putney, Wandsworth.

Maggie
Wandsworth u3a

Photo of a cormorant swallowing a huge fish

Greedy Cormorant

A huge meal of Tench for this Cormorant at Dartford Lakes, Kent.

Jenny
Abbey Wood and Thamesmead u3a

Photo of a swan making rings in a pond

Swan Circles

The swan, head under water, created a beautiful ripple effect. Taken at the Round Pond in Kensington Gardens during our U3A Photography Group February walk.

Steven
Wandsworth u3a

Photograph of seagull with a mussel

Tough Task

A Sanderling tries its luck on a discarded mussel shell on the quay in Leigh-on-Sea. Cockles are a local commercial catch and are processed on the site.

Richard
Leigh Estuary u3a

Photo of a robin singing

Singing Away!

Narborough, Norfolk. They seem to be intent on singing and don't take a lot of notice of people going past.

Alan
Wissey u3a

Close up photo of a robin

Robbie the Robin

Taken at RHS Harlow Carr which I visit every week. I sit on the same bench and this robin comes to see me every time.

Susannah
Harrogate u3a

Photo of a robin singing

Another Robin

They seem to be everywhere at the moment.

Alan
Wissey u3a

Photo of elder leaves and cones

Vision in green

This was taken in New Zealand. The vividness of the greenery stood out on a sunny day. I believe it to be an Elder tree.

Carolyn
Balsall Common u3a

Photo of a plant surviving in a crack in a wall

Resliliance

Sometimes I stop to take photos of trees or flowers that grow through obstacles. I admire them and I have been seeing them as metaphors. This one shows so much determination - no matter what it wants to grow. It startled me at first but at the same time it is inspiring. The tree’s resilience is amazing, just like people’s resilience. Church Street, Bloxham

Andri
Banbury u3a

Photo of male catkins

Male Catkins on a Twisted Willow

As Spring arrives, these male catkins help to bring colour back into our garden after a bleak winter.

Jim
Balsall Common u3a

Photo of a damselfly perched on a swan's head

Soft Landing

Taken at Lapworth locks in the west midlands I wanted to take photos of Damselflies but they would not land, so i decided to photograph a swan instead ,i had just focused on the swan when this one landed

David
Balsall Common u3a

Photograph of lapwings in flight

Endangered flight

Small flock of Lapwing (sadly) leaving my local reserve on the Tmaes Estuary. Hapily, they will, I'm sure, be back!

Richard
Leigh Estuary u3a

Photo of a swan

What went wrong?

Went out to photograph some Daffodils and came back with this.

Steve
Northallerton u3a

Close up photo of a sparrow

Mrs Sparrow

Maybe they can't sing but when you can find them, House Sparrows (now red-listed!) provide great entertainment! There is usually a small flock fluttering around Old Leigh -- but they are not usually as co-operative as this little lady....

Richard
Leigh Estuary u3a

Photo of a sparrow collecting grass seed

Sparrow collecting pampas grass for nesting

Taken while walking around Narborough in Norfolk.

Alan
Wissey u3a

Photo of a blue tit trying to get into a bird box

Someone's Knocking at the Door

There was a loud and continuous pecking noise in the garden. Despite there being 6 other bird boxes in the vicinity our little friend decided that this was the one for them....and just kept trying to get inside. I let it out of its misery by removing the metal plate - and we have a happy little bird :-)

Alastair
Northallerton u3a

Photo of a crocodile in a canal

Waiting for the lock to open

The Panama canal is visited frequently by these alligators.

Eileen
Sidmouth u3a

Photo of parrots in a tree

Pretty Pollys

This colourful pair were spotted in New Zealand. They did look puffed up to keep warm as it was cool that day.

Leslie
Balsall Common u3a

Photo of a lizard emerging from under stones

Who's watching whom?

Basking in the sunshine in the garden of our hotel in Malta, we felt we were being watched, and we were! What a beautiful creature.

Patricia
Interest Groups Online

Photo of pelicans queued on a rope

Form an orderly queue

These pelicans seem to want to get on our ship which was docked at Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala.

Eileen
Sidmouth u3a

Photo of an egret in flight

Egret in Flight

Lackford Lakes near Bury St Edmunds

Sheila
Haverhill u3a

Photo of sheep eating hay

Breakfast on a Cold Winter's Day

Taken at Ogston, Chesterfield, Derbyshire

Monica
Sheffield u3a

Photo of a mandarin duck

Mandarin Duck

Early morning shot of this Mandarin Drake enjoying the sun on the river Ure

Steve
Northallerton u3a

Photo of a masked booby ready to dive

Ready to Dive

This Masked Booby was one of many tracking our ship off the coast of Brazil.

Eileen
Sidmouth u3a

Photo of a black guillemot

Just having a swim...

Black Guillemot taken on holiday in Oban. Taking a rest after skimming across the bay on a beautiful morning with sparkling clear water. Nature at its finest.

Alastair
Northallerton u3a

Photo of a kite perched in a tree

Kite at Rest

See this kite all the time while walking the dog around Narborough, Norfolk.

Alan
Wissey u3a

Photo of a kestrel in flight

Kestrel "I'm off"

Just as I got into position to shoot it was off.

Alan
Wissey u3a

Photo of two herons

Two lookouts

A lucky sighting from the house of two Grey Herons perching above the fields in the Blackdown Hills of East Devon.

Jenny
Honiton u3a

Photo of a greater bee fly

Greater Bee Fly

Warren gorge, Thurrock - plenty about, general hover in front of you.

Alan
Thurrock u3a

Photo of a muntjac dear

Muntjac in local field

Local farm has had a lot of forestry work done recently and the muntjac seem to have been disturbed and I see them in the fields much more now.

Alan
Wissey u3a

Photo of a whiplash beetle

Whiplash Beetle

Taken at Hendy nature reserve. Found on a Reptile habitat. They will burn your skin if touched or crushed. But so pretty and colourful.

Mark
Pontarddulais u3a

Photo of a horse chestnut bud

Are you smiling at me?

Looks almost human at first sight... Taken at Kiplin Hall near Northallerton this month. Believe it may be a horse chestnut and just looked very lonely in the woods.

Alastair
Northallerton u3a

Photo of mistletoe in a tree

Mistletoe

Large spherical balls of mistletoe found growing on a tree in Cottenham. Its leaves, stems and berries are all poisonous and in spring its leathery green leaves offer welcome colour among the tree’s bare branches.

Jim
Balsall Common u3a

Photo of a restful park bench

Spring Bench Rest

Weathered bench surrounded by foliage - scenery calm. St. Peter ad Vincula church in South Newington

Andri
Banbury u3a

Photo of the reflection of trees in water

Stillness

I took this picture on a late afternoon along Banbury Canal. The trees formed stunning reflection onto the flat canal waters.

Andri
Banbury u3a

Photo of a robin

European robin

Friendly Robin taken at Warren gorge, Thurrock, Essex.

Alan
Thurrock u3a

Photo of the outline of trees

Winner on Parade

Last week, I noticed that one of the trees had foliage while the rest of the trees were bare. It looked like a competition was already in progress … “And the winner is … “ This photo was taken on a walk in Wiltshire.

Andri
Banbury u3a

Photo of a tree with large leaves and pink flowers

Pink Ball Tree: Dombeya Wallichii

This tree is native to Madagascar and East Africa and has been introduced to other sub tropical regions including Tenerife in the Canary Islands where this photo was taken.

Eileen
Sidmouth u3a

Photo of the shadow of a tree

Envy

The bare tree’s shadow did the best to reach full foliage trees … As it was so fed up for being so bare all winter. Church Green Shipton-under-Wychwood

Andri
Banbury u3a

Photo of a robin on a fence post

lots of Robins about this year.

Another shot taken while walking the dog in the village.

Alan
Wissey u3a

Previous Found in Nature submissions