Ripon’s Alistair Marsh has won the Mammal Society’s Mammal Photographer of the Year 2017 competition.
Led by TV’s Wildlife film-maker and presenter Simon King, the panel of four judges selected the winners from a hugely competitive pool of entries from across the UK.
Alastair’s wonderful photo of a pine marten was taken on the West coast of Scotland.
He said: “I was struggling to get photos of them during daylight hours as they seemed very tentative but fortunately persistence and patience paid off.”
Simon King said: “So often we see images of Pine Marten at feeding stations, and while this animal might well be on its way to or from such a place, textures in the moss covered tree, the level of soft bokeh and off centre composition make this image especially strong.”
Alastair won a conservation holiday in Dorset with Wild Days Conservation.
Runner up in the Mammals of the UK category went to Jenny Hibbert from Bridgend for this photo of a water shrew.
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