The image, showing an adult dipper feeding its chicks, was taken by Simon Roberts and has been named the overall winner of Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s annual photography competition.
Not only does the photograph take the top prize, but it will also appear on the cover of the charity’s 2027 wildlife calendar.
Dippers by Simon Roberts (Image: Simon Roberts)
Matthew Poulton from Cumbria Wildlife Trust said: “Our annual photography competition is a great way to celebrate the wealth of wonderful wildlife we have here in Cumbria.
“As always, we were bowled over by the high quality of the images that were submitted and send our congratulations not just to the winners but to all the competition entrants.
“The 12 winning photos in our calendar are a reminder of how special Cumbria’s wildlife and wild places are and how important it is to protect them.”
The winning photograph captures an adult dipper offering insects to its two chicks.
Red Squirrel by Andy Currie (Image: Andy Currie)
Dippers are chocolate-brown birds known for bobbing along stones in fast-moving rivers, and they feed on underwater insects.
The competition, which received several hundred entries, had a panel shortlist 12 images for the 2027 calendar.
Members of the trust then voted for their top three images.
Water rail by Andy Currie (Image: Andy Currie)
Andy Currie took both second and third place with photographs of a red squirrel and a water rail, each reflected in still water.
Other images featured in the calendar include a stoat, duckling and heron.
The 2027 Cumbria Wildlife Trust Calendar is now available for £10 from the trust’s website.
Stoat by John Macfarlane (Image: John Macfarlane)
The photograph competition was supported by Wilkinson Cameras.
To order the calendar, visit cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/shop.