Beating over seven hundred entries, Wayne Bailey won the overall competition with his dramatic portrait of a Griffon Vulture. Curator of Cotswold Wildlife Park, Jamie Craig, commented: “The detail in this image of our Griffon Vulture is something we do not see in most pictures taken at the Park. It shows the beauty of a much-maligned species and the sharp outline of its beak and eye contrast fantastically with the feathers in the background. For us, it highlights the grace and attributes of all Vultures.”
On the day Wayne took the winning photograph, his dog Toby played an instrumental role. Wayne Bailey commented: “I managed to capture the image after I noticed the Vulture perched towards the front of its enclosure. It was only when the Vulture noticed my dog Toby approaching that I realised I had an opportunity to portray the predatory instincts of the bird, framing the Vulture in such a way as to emphasise the powerful beak and one of its ever-watchful eyes. It was more of an instinctive shot for fear of letting the moment pass, but to be honest, I think for as long as Toby was prepared to sit there, the Vulture would have done the same. When I looked back over the image later that day, I was really pleased and chose to submit it more in hope than in expectation.” When judges told Wayne he had taken the overall winning photograph, he added: “I couldn’t quite believe it when I heard the news!”
The competition also encourages young people to connect with nature through photography and includes a specific category for entrants aged sixteen and under. Fifteen-year-old Jordan Yates impressed the judges so much with his photograph of an Oriental Small-clawed Otter, he won with his portrait of one of the Park’s most popular animals.
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