Common Crane © Simon Stirrup, 25 January 2025, Cambridgeshire fens.

January’s Picture of the Month was chosen by Lucas Burfield.

"As soon as I spotted this incredible photo by Simon Stirrup I was stunned. The composition is outstanding, with the adult Crane playfully jumping in the air above the Cambridgeshire fens. This is such a special and rare species and we are privileged to have it in this county.

Honourable mentions go to the vast array of stunning Bearded Tit photos by Jan Michalec and Cookie Shorten. I was also delighted to see many entries of birds braving the cold to feed, of which I particularly enjoyed those of a Wren, by Joanna Kubica."

See the latest photos 

Peregrine Falcon © Roger Cresswell 25 February 2025, undisclosed site

February's Picture of the Month was chosen by Louise Bacon and Vince Lea.

"Our top two choices were both birds being 'busy', instilling a bit of activity into the photo.  Our runner-up is Garth Peacock's Egret, in landing mode.  Its lovely flight feathers are clearly visible as it angles into land.  Or maybe it’s taking off?  And our top choice was Roger Cresswell’s Peregrine.  Face-on, feathers all puffed out, and the speckled breast feathers looking very different to the sleek version of the regular view of a Peregrine. Also, the talons match the colour of the lichen so well."

See the latest photos 

Peregrine Falcon © Jan Michalec 25 March 2025, undisclosed site

March's Picture of the Month was chosen by Pete Holt.

The Great White Egret from Bob Steed shows an unusual view that manages to capture character in a species where that is a difficult thing to do. Roger Hardie’s contributions included beautiful portraits of a Barn Owl, a much-loved species taken in terrific light, as well as producing technically very good flight shots of a Little Gull, a species rarely present for long at any site. Tracey Graves' shots of starlings provide wonderfully evocative images of a sadly declining spectacle, the Grey Heron for scale makes that image a gem; a close second. My pick though are Jan Michalec’s portraits of an unfortunate Collared Dove. These technically excellent shots of Peregrine capture both behaviour and character of the species.

See the latest photos 

Grey Heron © Jan Michalec 4 April 2025, Fowlmere RSPB

April's Picture of the Month was chosen by Andy Merryweather.

We have become accustomed to a fantastic range of great pictures from our many talented photographers, and this month proved no different. As might be expected in April, the arrival of migrants and summer visitors was reflected in the many unusual species photographed. But apart from the species itself, I was attracted to the pictures that somehow captured the essence of the bird, whether as an action shot, or as a brief moment of typical behaviour.

With this in mind, I was drawn to Chris Kenyon’s beautiful capture of the moment just before a Little Gull takes a fly. Many of us enjoyed seeing and photographing these birds at Dernford, and this photograph particularly stood out for me. Similarly, Steve Moore-Vale’s Wryneck seems to capture the secretive nature of this species, the bird itself being beautifully framed within the branches, and Alan Fersht’s Grey Wagtail carrying a bulging bill of insects also beautifully depicting a brief moment in the daily life of this bird.

However, my choice for photo of the month goes to Jan Michalec’s brilliant photograph of a Grey Heron with Pike. Quite apart from the fantastically sharp focus on both subjects, the composition of this photograph is fabulous, with the wing feathers closing around the subject and framing the bird’s eye, which itself is eyeing up the hapless fish. This is great storytelling and a wonderful photograph.

See the latest photos