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Somerset photographer's gannet picture highly-commended

Zoe Ashdown/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards A photo of the two gannets embracing over their chick and staring right at the cameraZoe Ashdown/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards
Zoe Ashdown's photo placed in the highly-commended category

A photographer has said she is "humbled" that her picture of gannets nesting has been highly-commended in The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

Zoe Ashdown, from Weston-super-Mare, took a photo of birds nesting on Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire.

She called the image 'One for the family album' as male and female birds appear to be posing with their chick.

The competition aims to capture nature in amusing poses.

Ms Ashdown said: "Gannets are the best seabirds to photograph.

"They've got these brilliant expressions."

Dikla Gabriely/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards A bear lying in grass waving at a cameraDikla Gabriely/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards
The awards aim to raise awareness of wildlife conservation

She added: "I was watching one particular nest and they did this incredible greeting ritual that they do, and I fired off a load of shots.

"They look like a proud set of parents, incredibly awkward but very funny."

Ms Ashdown said it was only when she reviewed her photographs later that she realised how good it was.

She said she was pleased to have her work recognised out of thousands of entries.

Jacek Stankiewicz/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awar Two birds on a branch, whilst one points away, seemingly telling the other one to budge offJacek Stankiewicz/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awar
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Ms Ashdown said: "I'm fairly new to photography actually, I started about five years ago.

"I have a typical sort of corporate job, working in an office all day.

"Finding a hobby which involves wildlife, being outdoors and creative as then being able to put those things together makes it a really special hobby to have."

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, which were founded in 2015, aims to widen "understanding and engagement of a sustainable world" as well as wildlife conservation.

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