Swift Pelican wins top Ecology Photo Prize

British Ecological Society’s annual photography competition winners announced.

Published: December 28, 2020 at 8:08 pm

In a busy year for photo awards, an image of a flying Dalmatian Pelican, taken by Alwin Hardenbol, has been awarded Overall Winner in the British Ecological Society’s annual photography competition, 'Capturing Ecology'.

The winning images and an additional 16 highly commended images, taken by international ecologists and students, celebrate the diversity of ecology; capturing flora and fauna from across the planet.

We have picked out some of our favourites from the winners and the highly commended(s), and bring them to you now.

For more amazing science photography, why not check out these galleries too?

1

Overall Winner - The Art of Flight

Panning shot of a Dalmatian Pelican. Its tough, but so worth it when it turns out well. This shot was taken with 1/30s, f/8.0, and ISO 800 at 80mm.
Panning shot of a Dalmatian Pelican, taken by Alwin Hardenbol - Alwin Hardenbol

On her winning image, Alwin, a PhD candidate at the University of Eastern Finland, said: “I gave this image the title The art of flight because of how impressive this bird's wings appear in the picture, you can almost see the bird flying in front of you despite it being a still image".

“I used a technique called panning which involves using a slow shutter speed and moving the camera along with the bird as it flies. In a perfect scenario, the background and most of the bird will show blurred movement but the head should be sharp. I took thousands of pictures and while most failed, I was very happy with this shot.

“Winning such a competition as an ecologist provides me with the opportunity to continue combining my research with my passion for nature photography.”

2

Runner Up - Ant Tale

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A colony of Weaver Ants hard at work, Buxa tiger reserve, India - Upamanyu Chakraborty

3

Overall winner - Student Category - Waterfall Swift

Waterfall swift - Pablo Javier Merlo
Pablo Javier Merlo

4

Runner Up - Hatching

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The paralarvae of California two-spot octopus, Octopus bimaculatus, hatching from their egg sacs, La Jolla, California, USA - Pichaya Lertvilai

5

Winner, Up Close and Personal Category - Student - Into the Lion's Den

Into the Lion's den - Sam England
Sam England

6

Winner, Dynamic Ecosystems Category - Dances with Rattlers

Roadrunners will kill and eat rattlesnakes but must avoid being struck, so they perform this amazing dance, always moving and keeping beyond striking distance with their wings out and body feathers. This snake survived and moved on. Mojave Desert, Arizona, USA
Roadrunner 'dancing' around and attempting to kill a rattlesnake without being bitten, Mojave Desert, Arizona, USA - Peter Hudson

7

Highly Commended - Hunter

Hunter - Roberto García-Roa
Roberto García-Roa

8

Highly Commended - That Sinking Feeling

That sinking feeling - Ute Bradter
Ute Bradter

9

Highly Commended - Mimicry

Oiticella convergens moth mimicing yellow leaf, Laguna Blanca, Paraguay
Oiticella convergens moth mimicing yellow leaf, Laguna Blanca, Paraguay - Gabor Pozsgai

10

Winner, Individual & Pop - The Last Meal of the Day

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A group of greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) feed at the saltworks of Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, Montpellier, France - David López-Idiáquez

11

Highly Commended - Diving with a Pink Jellyfish

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A pink jellyfish surrounded by bubbles, Riou archipelago, near Marseille, France - Boris Horvat

Highly Commended - The neighbor

Gonatodes albogularis is an elusive lowland gecko that, despite its striking colors, is usually near crevices or narrow cavities where it can easily hide when it feels in danger, Río Claro Natural Reserve, Antioquia, Colombia
The Yellow-headed gecko is usually found in narrow cavities where it can hide when it feels in danger, Antioquia, Colombia - Khristian Valencia