September's photo challenge: the winning shot

Subject: Sanderling

Sanderling are energetic little waders and there were plenty of images submitted to August’s photo challenge that demonstrated this. We had plenty of great shots of the species submitted from all times of year, with a nice mix of brightly coloured breeding-plumaged adults and pristine juveniles. It was a tough choice to pick a winner, but in the end we opted for Alan Jack’s lovely shot pictured. Sanderling are often embroiled in a cat-and-mouse game with the tideline, as the waves break and birds run up and down the shore trying not to get a soaking – and this image, with the waves breaking behind a juvenile Sanderling, demonstrates the close relationship between sea and bird. Congratulations to Alan, who wins a copy of Birdpedia by Christopher W Leahy.

August's photo challenge: the winning shot

Subject: shearwaters

Our shearwaters challenge wasn’t the easiest we’ve ever set – these fast-moving seabirds are often photographed from a rocky boat and even the best professional photographers tend to end up with a very small proportion of ‘keepers’ on their memory cards. We were nonetheless very impressed by the collective efforts of Birdwatch readers, with a high quality noted throughout the submissions. In the end, though, we felt that Bob Marchant’s dynamic shot of a Great Shearwater in the high seas off South Georgia was a worth winner, being a fine encapsulation of the epic lives that these wonderful birds live. Well done to Bob, who wins a copy of A Shadow Above by Joe Shute.

The November challenge, Purple Sandpiper, is now open. Send your entries to editorial@birdwatch.co.uk.