Lewes teen’s image of a cuckoo wins a top prize in RSPCA youth photo competition

James Pearson, from Lewes, won the award for his image of a cuckoo – entitled ‘Brood Parasite’.

The 15-year-old was awarded a Commended in the competition’s 12-15 category after being singled out from more than 6,500 entries this year.

James said: “I’m so happy that the judges liked my photo so much.

“This particular cuckoo is rather well known among bird watchers as being pretty reliable for excellent photography and viewing opportunities, so when I heard that he had completed his annual journey from central Africa to the British shores I simply had to chance a visit.

"I had never seen a cuckoo before so didn’t really know what to expect. After waiting around for several hours in the typical miserable British weather to no avail, we decided to leave and hope for better luck next weekend.

“The following weekend we returned in higher spirits (although our expectations lowered rather substantially) and within the 10 minutes it took to get in a suitable photography position and the tripod up we first heard that iconic call of the British countryside and within no time, it flew down to greet us, clumsily landing for a short period of time on a beautifully scenic lichen-covered branch allowing me to take a short burst of photos before flying back up and perching around 4 metres above our heads. A magical and unforgettable experience and safe to say our expectations were rightfully surpassed.”

Every year, the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards invites youngsters aged 18 years and under to capture the animal kingdom on a camera or a mobile device.

This year’s awards were blind-judged online by a panel of experts in wildlife photography, including photographer, TV presenter and RSPCA Vice President Chris Packham.

Also on the panel were wildlife photographer and former competition winner Catriona Parfitt, professional wildlife photographer and photographic guide Ellie Rothnie, wildlife photographer, filmmaker and previous winner Dani Connor and the RSPCA’s multimedia manager Andrew Forsyth and senior photographer Emma Jacobs.

Judge and awards host Chris Packham said: “The high quality and range of animal photos received this year has been astounding, particularly given the restrictions of the pandemic. We do know that several of this year’s finalists took up photography when the first Covid lockdown happened in 2020, which just shows how rewarding taking eye-catching pictures can be even during the most difficult of times

“The RSPCA Young Photographer Awards is a true celebration of the animal kingdom and one I feel honoured to be involved with. Every person shortlisted should be proud of their contribution to a world that’s kinder to all animals.”

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