AN AMATEUR photographer from the Isle of Wight scooped a prize in a competition designed to raise awareness of protected winter birds.

Josh Thomas from Shanklin was recognised despite stiff competition, for his eye-catching snap of a little egret fishing.

Bird Aware Solent ­— a local partnership of conservation groups and Solent councils ­— created the Great Solent Birdwatch to highlight unique birds such as Brent geese, oystercatcher and dunlin.

Communities throughout the region became involved, with the photography competition receiving more than 100 entries.

Josh, 18, said: "I am proud to have won this award. My photo captured a beautiful image of the little white egret at Hersey Nature Reserve as the sun set."

Councillor Sean Woodward, chairman of the Partnership for South Hampshire (PfSH), a body that oversees Bird Aware, was impressed with the photos.

He said: "Every bird that returns to the Solent has been on an epic journey to get here. Getting photos like these highlights why we are so lucky they choose Solent shores as a sanctuary.

"We must honour the birds by giving them lots of space to feed and rest."

The event boasted an impressive 72 different species of birds and Bird Aware Solent have promised to make it an annual competition.

To see more of Josh's work, visit his Facebook photography page.

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