THEY always say a drop of oil is the best way to fix a squeak...
The wonderfully quirky photograph by Stephen Lloyd-Smart (above) was just one of hundreds of entries in this year's Yorkshire Wildlife Trust photography competition. They included stunning landscapes; intricate close-ups of insects and other tiny creatures; snaps of unwary foxes, barn owls and songbirds; and much, much more.
Entries were sent in from children, enthusiastic amateurs, and those who had clearly developed real expertise with a camera and the patience to wait for the right image.
A panel of judges - including The Press's own Stephen Lewis - then had the difficult job of sifting through them to come up with a shortlist of 35 finalists across four categories, which were:
- Wildlife watch (Junior category)
- Smartphone (for images captured on a phone)
- Wild Places
- Wildlife
Now it is over to you - a public vote will decide the winner in each category.
Voting opened today, and will close on April 1, with the winners being announced in a ceremony at Potteric Carr reserve near Doncaster on Thursday May 5. Winners will each receive a Yorkshire Wildlife Tour with Yorkshire Coast Nature and a signed copy of the new Bradt Travel Guide – A Summer of Wildlife by James Lowen.
Scroll down to see all the finalists. You can then cast your vote here http://www.ywt.org.uk/node/24813
THE FINALISTS
WILDLIFE
Symmetry by Colin Hamilton
Rabbit by Dave Semmens
Insect by David Eccles
Green leaf aphid by David Hopley
War of the Worlds by David Hopley
Banded Damoiselle by Ian Parker
Adders by Simon Bailey
Mouse by Stephen Lloyd-Smart
Owl by Stephen Lloyd-Smart
Shoveller courtship flight by Vernon Barker
WILD PLACES
Hornsea groyne by David Hopley
Emerald by 'Manphibian'
Dent Head Viaduct by Harry Johnson
Woodland by Charlotte Ellis
Hawthorn tree, Ingleborough, by Harry Johnson
Kingsdale, Yorkshire Moors, by Harry Johnson
Twistleton Scar, Ingleborough, by Harry Johnson
Northern lights over North Yorkshire coast by Joe Burn
Goat Lane by Kevin Nutter
Landscape at Sutton Bank by Mark Heslington
WILDLIFE WATCH (JUNIOR - five finalists only)
Hedgehog by Hannah Orchison
Seabirds by Jamie Kirk
Stag by Jamie Kirk
Hoverfly by Zach Haynes
Insect by Zach Haynes
SMARTPHONE
Poppies by Allison Richardson
Bee by Catherine Sutherland
Gulls on Humber Bridge by Catherine Sutherland
Landscape by Darren Bellhouse
Broad-winged damselfly, by Paul Farrington
Common Blue by Paul Farrington
Coast by David Hopley
Five Spot Burnett, by Paul Farrington
Hoverfly, by Rob Atkins
We're hungry, by Stephen Towse
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