Photo competition results!
Earlier this year, we launched a photography competition on the theme of ‘Riverflies’, meaning up-wing flies, caddisflies and stoneflies. The response was fantastic, with ninety eligible photos put to our judging panel (Simon Johnson, Steve Brooks and Louise Lavictoire). You can view all entries on the online gallery.
After much deliberation, two runners-up and one winner were settled upon.
Let’s begin with the runners-up.
Firstly, we have this beautiful photo of a cased caddis, taken by David Warriner:
David is a volunteer with the Box Moor Trust, with whom he carries out Riverfly monitoring and other conservation and engagement activities. He told us, “This unusual caddis was found in a channel in the old Gadespring cress bed site in Hemel Hempstead. This site is owned by the Box Moor Trust and is now managed as a wildlife site. It is home to an increasing range of species and hosts a wide variety of aquatic invertebrates.”
The other runner-up is Paul Fraser, for this incredible close-up — captioned by Paul as “This takes having eyes on the top of your head to a whole new level”!
Paul is a freshwater biologist who told us, “I've always loved working with freshwater invertebrates and a few years ago I decided to take up macro-photography to learn how to showcase them to a wider audience. I love the awe and wonderment these fascinating creatures demand when seen through the lens of a camera”.
And finally…
We are thrilled to reveal that this was the winning photograph, taken by David Haines!
It shows a stunning adult mayfly on a fence post in Stoer, Sutherland, up in the Highlands. David told us, “I live in Assynt on the west coast of Sutherland having moved permanently from Dunfermline in 2013.
“My wife and I first visited the area in 1987 and probably knew then that we wanted to live here. Our main interest was and still is birds but being here opened the door to so many other areas of wildlife to watch, record and photograph.
“We are both enthusiastic Riverfly volunteers at the one suitable site in the area.
“This image was one of only two I was able to take of the mayfly on the day before it flew off. I’ve always liked the image but never thought about it for competitions so to end up as the winner is quite amazing.
“It was taken on 6th August 2024 on a Canon EOS 5D MKIV using a Canon 100mm macro lens. The settings were 1/1250thsec/f7.1/ISO 400. The location was the fence around the Assynt Crofters Trust office in Stoer.
“I had actually been taking photos of the fantastic wildflower meadow and the visiting pollinators in the fenced area at the time. That led to a new record this century and possibly the second only in Assynt of the Pied Hoverfly, Scaeva pyrastri.”.