A timeless, midwinter scene in the heart of Sussex scooped Emma Varley from London Road, Pulborough first place in this year's Sussex Wildlife Trust's Photo Competition. Emma's picture won the public vote and a £100 cash prize. See the image below...

Emma describes how she took her winning photograph. She said,

"The heavy frost one morning last January promised a lovely sunrise, so I took a detour on my way to work looking for a place to photograph. I got rather lost (and was beginning to worry about being late!) but eventually found somewhere to pull up, I think near Cowfold. Walking along the edge of a field, I turned a corner and was amazed to find this breathtaking view. It seemed absolutely timeless and completely captured the beauty of a Sussex winter landscape to me. This was one of those moments with nature that was a real privilege to be part of."

Runner-up, by a whisker, was Glenn Alford from Cavalier Way, East Grinstead and his charming capture of a wood mouse in a hazel tree. See the image beloe. Glenn received a set of four Mark Greco Mugs from the Sussex Wildlife Trust’s online shop as his prize.  

Glenn told us how he was able to take such an intimate wildlife portrait. He said,

"Well as it was as much about being in the right place at the right time as is the usual with most great wildlife pictures!"

"I had been visiting my parents one sunny Sunday afternoon to get some photos of the butterflies that fill the garden at that time of year. I was just on my way down the garden path to go home when I caught something moving in the hazel tree and spotted this little cheeky mouse desperately trying to get to the last of the hazel nuts the squirrels were unable to reach. So I grabbed my camera and took this picture at the exact moment the mouse realized I was pointing a 400mm lens at him, it froze for a split second and shot off, hence the surprised look on its face!"

"I have been doing photography for a little over a year now and very quickly became hooked on wildlife photography. Having grown up in the country and in West Sussex I have come to love our beautiful part of the countryside and enjoy just being outside and getting the best pictures I can."

Richard Cobden of the Sussex Wildlife Trust said, "The twelve finalists will feature in our 2016 online calendar, which will be available from our website at the end of December."