I’m always excited when I find out about a new (or new to me) photography contest, and none make me happier than the nature and animal photography competitions. Today, I bring you the 2018 shortlist for the contest known as Bird Photographer of the Year. The winners will be announced in August, but if the unbelievable diving Kingfisher image above doesn’t win something, I’ll be very surprised!

“Bird Photographer of the Year is a competition that celebrates the artistry of bird photography and promotes conservation by contributing directly to the British Trust for Ornithology to support their conservation research.”

I’m glad to see that the funds raised by entry fees and the purchase of books goes to support bird conservation! Good entertainment and a good cause! The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) also hosts an annual bird photography and conservation camp for high schoolers. Watch this!

This is the contest’s third year, and submissions for the competition are split into categories: Best Portrait, Birds in the Environment, Attention to Detail, Bird Behaviour, Birds in Flight, Garden and Urban Birds, and Creative Imagery. There’s also a special category for Young Bird Photographer of the Year.

You can check out all the competition submissions on the BPOTY contest website, you can find out more about the good work the BTO is doing on their site, and I recommend you go have a look around the website of the contest’s hosts, Nature Photographers Ltd.