TONY HENDERSON, Environment Editor, on a quirky take on a nesting colony.

IT was no run of the mill picture of the Tyneside kittiwake colony which made Ian Cook a winner. Ian, whose hobby is wildlife photography, believes the birds who nest on the Tyne Bridge, the former Baltic Flour Mill and nearby kittiwake tower are a unique asset to Newcastle and Gateshead.

Ian, who lives in Newcastle Great Park, has taken scores of pictures of what is the furthest inland colony in the country. But his latest has made him the regional winner of the Quirky category in the WWT photography competition.

There were 324 North East entries, with judging taking place at WWT’s Washington wetland centre.

All pictures had to be taken at a WWT centre, except the Quirky category. Now Ian, along with five other regional winners, goes forward to the national finals on Monday.

To capture his winning shot of kittiwakes nesting on a ledge at the Baltic Art Centre in Gateshead, Ian visited the building’s viewing gallery.

“There is a high glass wall and people try to take pictures through it, but I lifted my camera up above the glass and was really shooting blind.

“It was a question of getting the time right when there were birds nesting along the full length of the ledge.

“I have taken loads of pictures of the birds on the Tyne in the past but it is something I wanted to get right.

“It is absolutely brilliant to have this colony in Newcastle and Gateshead because it makes wildlife accessible for so many people.

“Nowhere else has a colony so far inland and the fact that it is unique and they are our local birds makes it quirky.”

Ian has also won a national award in the Postcode Lottery photographic competition with his picture of a young roe deer at Heddon-on-the- Wall in Northumberland.

Ian devoted a good deal of time to watching a particular field full of sheep where adult deer would leave their youngsters for the day.

“The adults would go off into the woods and the youngsters would crouch down in a corner and not bat an eye at the sheep. The adults would come back at the end of the day and collect the young ones and they would all go off together,” he said.

Ian’s winning picture was taken at dusk in the spring when the deer was lit by the last rays of the sun.

The wetland landscapes regional winner was Brian Angus, from Seaham in County Durham, with his image of a frosted reed bed at Washington. Retired butcher Brian said: “It was seriously cold that day.”

The Wetland Wildlife winner was Naomi Roper, from Roker in Sunderland who works in a camera shop in the city and whose image of a duck enjoying a quiet spell alone is titled Moment’s Peace.

Lizzy Mansfield, 15, from Gosforth in Newcastle, who attends the city’s Dame Allan’s School, was the People and Wildlife winner with her study of a feeding duck.

Georgia Turner, of Backworth in North Tyneside, was the under-16 winner with an image of a butterfly on a thistle while Jack Boothby from Billingham was the People’s Choice winner.

Entries are being invited for Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s 26th annual amateur photography competition.

There are two categories – Best Wildlife Video and Best Wildlife Photograph and the age groups for the photography category are: 4-12 years, 13-18 years and over 18.

Photographs taken and footage filmed in Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle will be eligible.

The winning photographs will feature in the trust’s 40th anniversary celebrations throughout 2011 and in The Journal.

All entries for the competition should be sent to Christine O’Neill, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Garden House, St Nicholas Park, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 3XT.