Overall winner: The art of flight. Penning shot of a flying Dalmatian pelican. Internationally endangered bird species. The image is slightly post-processed with tonal changes, dodging and burning, saturation changes, sharpening and noise reduction. Credit: Alvin Hardenball / British Ecological Society
An image of a flying Datty Dalmatian pelican taken by Al Dwin Hardenball has won an overall winner award in the British Ecological Society’s annual photography competition, ‘Capturing Ecology’.
The winning images and an additional 16 highly acclaimed images, taken by international ecologists and students, celebrate the diversity of ecology; Receives flora and fauna from the earth. Topics range from a showdown between a roadrunner and a rattlesnake, to eating flamingos at sunset, and a close-up of a friendly humphead cross.
On his winning picture, Alvin, a PhD candidate from the University of Eastern Finland, said: “I gave this image the title of flight, because in the picture how impressive the wings of this bird are, you can almost see the bird flying. It’s in front of you despite being a static image.
“I used a technique called panning, which involves using a slow shutter speed and moving the camera like a bird. In the full view, the background and most of the bird will show vague movements but the head should be sharp. I took thousands of pictures and when most failed I was very happy with this shot.
“Winning such a competition as an ecologist gives me the opportunity to continue to combine my research with my passion for nature photography.”
Professor Jane Mammoth, president of the British Ecological Society, commented: “Photographs are full of bird movement, grace, and beauty. When I was working as a PhD student in Costa Rica the pelicans were one of my favorite birds to watch sea voyages and this image reminds me of those days. A challenging photograph to take and the right winner.
“As always, the standard of photography is impressive, and it was fun to watch it all. I congratulate all the winners and thank all the participants for their performances. ”
Alvin also won the ‘People and Nature’ category internationally with a black-striped kittywake image of vulnerable animals by building a wreath on a crumbling building in Varan Ranger, Norway.
Overall Student Winner: Waterfall Swift. Like most varieties of Swift, the Great Dusky Swift (Cypseloides sensex) vert can be found perching in rocks. But, this particular breed takes its habitat to an extreme location and, literally known as “Waterfall Swift” in Latin America, the Great Dusky Swift is found in the 800-meter-high stone walls around Iguza Falls, which were frequently flown. Falls offering unique shows. Credit: Pablo Javier Merlo / British Ecological Society
The overall student winner is Pablo Javier Merlo, who studies biology at the National University of Cડોrdoba, Argentina. Pablo’s image depicts the Great Dusky Swift perched on the straight stone walls of the Iguza Falls in Argentina. Known as the ‘Waterfall Swift’ in Latin America, these birds can be seen flying between the 0 meter high waterfalls.
Pablo said: “Iguza National Park is of significant importance because it protects a very diverse natural ecosystem, and the Waterfall Swift is an important symbol of Iguza and its diversity.
“I am so grateful to be selected as one of the winners and feel inspired to continue learning about photography, which is an excellent tool to show the wildlife of our planet and how it relates to its environment.”
The independent judging panel includes six highly respected photographers, including renowned ecologist and award-winning wildlife photographers.
One of them was Gabriela Stabiler, who has had a wildlife photography career for 30 years. She said: “Standout images show not only great photographic skills, but also a love and spirit for wildlife. Their impact on people will contribute to the preservation of nature. Congratulations to the photographers!”
Mouth by Roberto Garcia Rowe
1 image of 30
When I found out, Cop’s wine snake (xy xybelis brevirostris) behaved aggressively. Although harmless, the cop’s wine snake (xy xebelis brevirostris) often behaves aggressively by opening its mouth to find predators. Although they usually avoid attacking, they move quickly with the mouth open with a view that many animals eventually decide to abandon.
Complete list of winners:
Overall winners: Alvin Hardenball, University of Eastern Finland
The art of flight: Penning shot of a flying Dalmatian pelican. Internationally endangered bird species.
Runners overall: Pichaya Lertville, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego
Hatching: Egg ectopus Bimaculatus paralarva emerging from their egg sac. Mer filling Paralarve still carried yolks with them for the first few days of their new voyage.
Runners overall: Upamanyu Chakraborty, no connection
Ant story: Weaver ants are social animals. This photograph is of a nearby location of the Weaver Ant colony where the ants take their immature members to a safe place.
Overall student winners: Pablo Javier Merolo, National University of Cડોrdoba, Argentina
Waterfall Swift: Cypsyloids Sensex is a species of swift that is literally known as “Waterfall Swift” in Latin America. It can also be found on the stone walls (80 m high) of the Iguza Falls, frequently flying and offering unique shows through these springs.
Class 1 – close up and personal
An image displaying the complexity of nature using close-up or macro photography.
Winners: Michelle Smilek, University of New England, Australia Australia
Breathing. To accept. Relax: Chameleon leaf chameleon (Replayon brivacaudatus), instead of a slightly more scaly “daardi”. The species is endemic to the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania and Kenya. This was seen during a night walk in Udzangwas.
Student winners: Lauren Henley, University of Exeter
Look into my eye: This humphead cross (Chellinus undulatus) finally approached me while diving on the Great Barrier Reef and looked straight into my eye.
Category 2 – Dynamic Ecosystems
Demonstrate the interaction between different species within the ecosystem.
Winners: Peter Hudson, Penn State University
This roadrunner’s retral dance: A roadrunner dances on the back of a western diamond, keeping its wings out and feathers hidden along its body, so minimize death if the snake strikes.
Student winners: Sam J England, University of Bristol
In the den of lions: A jumping spider (family Salticidae) sits on the edge of its cell, built on the underside of a fallen leaf in the rainforests of Costa Rica, as it feeds on its unfortunate insect prey.
Class 3 – Individuals and Population
A unique view of the species in its environment, alone or as part of a population.
Winners: David Lopez-Idiquez, Center d’Ecology Functional at Evolutionary (CEFE-CNRS) and University of the Basque Country
Last meal of the day: A group of large flamingos (Phonicopterus roses) feed before the end of the day at the salt works of Villeniu-lus-Muel Guillon, near Montpellier (France).
Student winners: Elena Resowska, Ox Oxford Brooks University
I see you: Madagascan Nightjar (Caprimulgus Madagascarinesis), rest of the day.
Class 4 – People and Nature
Takes the relationship between people and nature interesting and original.
Winners: Alvin Hardenball, University of Eastern Finland
Housing for threats, In Waringer, black-legged kittyvex (Risa tridectyla) often prefers to nest on damaged buildings. This is a very interesting behavior for internationally sensitive bird species.
Student winners: Elena Resowska, Ox Oxford Brooks University
This is our playground, Turning day and night, enchanted tourists gathered to see the splendor of the baobabs amidst the mesanda colored sunsets. For centuries, trees have stood tall and quiet. Suddenly, out of nowhere, two children appeared. Catch the shadows and the dim light in this theater. Claiming their playground.
Class 5 – Ecology in action
Demonstration of the practice of ecology in action.
Winners: Peter Hudson, Penn State University
Wolf Moh: My standard student Allen is being watched by fascinated visitors at Yellowstone as he investigates one of his study animals, a wolf killed in an exam fight. The woman was deported from the Junction Butt Pack when she killed her own sister, Alpha Woman’s cub.
Student winners: James Orr, Trinity College Dublin
Constant flow: This photograph is a panorama made up of many long-exposure photographs Milk Ganga Above an experimental flow system made of 128 mesocoms. My Ph.D. As part of, I helped run a multi-stress experiment on the web of freshwater foods to test the individual and combined effects of different climate-change stresses. Each of the 128 mesocoms, or in the Middle World, had a diverse ecosystem from bacteria to fish. The pump continuously carries water from a nearby river to eight main water tanks and then moves straight down through our mesosomes, day and night, for five weeks.
Class 6 – The Art of Ecology
Takes a constructive and original on photography suggesting ecology.
Winners: Roberto Garcia Roa, University of Valencia
Mouth: A cop’s wine snake (xy xybelis brevirostris) shows the protected behavior of some reptiles in squamata phylogeny. Despite being innocent, they have no venom, these snakes open their mouths to scare predators when they find this. Although they are not used to attack, they move quickly with an open mouth mouth whose view many animals eventually decide to abandon.
Student winners: Sene Gowart, Ghent University
General irritability: Urtica dioica is a species often considered a weed. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
