A picture of a herring gull feeding in the surf of Mundesley has won a north Norfolk photographer a prestigious award.

Eastern Daily Press: Wildlife photographer Ernie Janes from GiminghamWildlife photographer Ernie Janes from Gimingham (Image: Archant)

Ernie Janes from Gimingham took the shot on February 5 this year.

It won him second place in the Bird Photograph of the Year competition run by British Birds magazine every year since 1976.

Mr Janes won a similar second place award two years ago for a picture of two blackbirds fighting on his smallholding, and third in 2009 for a shot of snow buntings.

The lifelong landscape and wildlife photographer's work has included big game and exotic birds in Africa - but the successful shots were taken on his doorstep.

Judges said his gull picture was 'almost surreal' and an 'extraordinarily powerful image' more like an oil painting than a photo which also left the viewer in suspense over whether it avoided the ongoing wave.

The winning entries are featured in the August issue of British Birds and were exhibited at the British Birdwatching Fair earlier this month at Rutland Water Nature Reserve.

Mr Janes has been a photographer since he left school in 1961, when his interest in nature was fired by growing up in rural Hertfordshire.

He has worked for a pharmaceutical firm, and been in commercial and press photographer - including a spell with Watford Football Club - and went freelance in 1983.

He has been awarded a fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society for his work and won awards in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition eight times.

His work is regularly published in worldwide magazines, greetings cars, calendars and books.

For more information visit www.erniejanes.com

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