Scottish Wildlife Behaviour Category

1st: John Cobham - Wasps Feeding Frenzy

© John Cobham - Wasps Feeding Frenzy

John said:"What a tremendous surprise to win the Behaviour category in the prestigious Scottish Nature Photography Awards. Having previously looked at past winners, I know the standards are extremely high, and to share the same podium with these champions is a dream come true, and I must also congratulate fellow winners for 2024.

"I am a member of a group of like-minded fellow photographers who love to network and organise photographic trips both home and abroad and who jointly develop as amateur photographers by helping each other along the way. Even in my advancing years, I love to always have an active bucket list for locations or iconic species. I am a member of Chorley Photographic Society, and I must give a special thanks to them for helping me to advance in my wildlife photography journey and skill sets. Most years we do about three trips up to Scotland from our Lancashire base. These generally take in Mull, Moidart and Ardnamurchan, although Glencoe and the Cairngorms sometimes make the mix.

"My winning image was taken in the garden of our holiday cottage on Ardnamurchan. We’d been feeding the badgers and pine martens the night before, and the residue attracted a swarm of wasps. I saw this as a photo opportunity, so I went for my Nikon camera and put on my 150mm Sigma macro lens. I took numerous RAW images . Some were better than others, as I obviously couldn’t train the wasps to formation fly or perch. But persistence paid off. As I was hand-held shooting from about 12 inches above the wasps, my fellow photographers were going ballistic at my foolhardy attempt to get images. I didn’t feel threatened and the wasps thankfully ignored me completely. However, in the interest of health and safety, maybe I should advise, 'please don’t try this at home'!!! On this occasion, I have obviously been well rewarded."

2nd: Ian Talboys - Metamorphosis

© Ian Talboys - Metamorphosis

3rd: Ron Macdonald – Starling Murmuration  

© Ron Macdonald – Starling Murmuration

Shortlisted:

Dan Bolt
Edd Cottell
Mark Deans
Kirsten Ferguson
Kate Friday
Jacki Gordon
Marc Humphrey
Phil James
Colin Jones
John Keery
Ron Macdonald
Liam McBride
Billy McCourt
Karen Miller
Peter Ormsby
Libby Penman
Sandy Robertson
Daryl Smith
Ian Talboys
Gordon Thomson
Rachael Turner
Frank Urban



Environmental category
Natural Abstract category
Scottish Botanical category
Scottish Landscape - The Land category
Scottish Landscape - Sea & Coast category
Scottish Landscape - Urban Greenspace category
Scottish Wildlife Behaviour category
Scottish Wildlife Portrait category
Junior category
Student category
Scottish Nature Video Award 2024
Favourite Scottish Nature Photography Book 2024