Rye Harbour Wildlife Photo Competition Competitions

Rye Harbour Wildlife Photo Competition

Organised by the Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

Age Groups

– age as at 31st December 2026

  • Junior (Under 12yrs)
  • Youth (12-18yrs)
  • Adult (18 and over)

Subjects – 3 categories

  • A Rye Harbour landscape
  • Rye Harbour wildlife
  • People enjoying wildlife at Rye Harbour

Terms and conditions

  • The welfare of the wildlife in any photograph is of greater importance than the photograph itself – entries which show evidence of undue disturbance or stress imparted on the subject by the photographer will be disqualified. Please take care to avoid damage to the environment in the process of your photography.

  • Entries must be JPEG files and be the best quality available.

  • Digital files should indicate the title of image and photographers name e.g. seakale_ASmith.jpg. Each entry should have a title, the category and up to 50 words about each image, plus the photographer’s name and age. Personal details will not be passed on to any third party without your permission.

  • All photographs submitted must be the work of the individual who submits them. Entrants must ensure that submitted photographs have been taken with the permission of all people included (where necessary) and do not infringe the copyright of any third party.

  • By submitting a photograph to this competition, entrants agree that The Friends of RHNR and Sussex Wildlife Trust reserve the right to free reproduction and exhibition of the image in all media to promote the nature reserve. Photographers will be credited if an image is used. Beyond this agreement, the copyright of photographs remains with the photographer.

  • All images must be taken at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.

  • Images of wildlife must be taken in the natural environment or in their natural habitat. Images of wildlife taken in captivity, domesticated or restrained in any way, will not be eligible, neither will images of species that have been artificially cultivated or reared.

  • Digital adjustments are acceptable; the way in which any digital enhancement or editing has been used will be taken into account when judging the entry. However, major changes of content and AI created images are not allowed.

  • A list of prize winners will be available on the Friends website and newsletter.

  • CLOSING DATE: 1st September 2026

Prizes

  • Winners, runners-up and highly commended entries will be shown in an exhibition at Rye Station, on the big screen at the Discovery Centre, online and in the Friends newsletter.

  • The 9 winners will each receive a £25 gift voucher for the Rye Harbour Discovery Centre.

Judging Panel

26 July – Friends’ Walk Walks

26 July – Friends’ Walk

Sunday 26 July 2026 09:00 – 13:00

Meet at the car park (TN31 7TT).

Distance 8km, about 4 hours.

Walks will focus on seasonal birds and other wildlife of the reserve.

Walk routes will reflect weather, ground conditions and location of wildlife.

All walks are suitable for adults and accompanied children.

Please note that there are no toilet facilities once we have left the car park.

Past Events

Guide in a Hide 03 January 2026

On an extremely cold day, the glorious sunshine made it the perfect winter’s day for our first Guide in a Hide of the year.

As the water poured into the salt marsh, the birds came much closer to the hide and visitors had fabulous views of feeding Redshank, Dunlin, Grey Plover, Curlew and Skylark virtually all day. However it was probably the distant Kingfisher, with us for most of the day, which was a star attraction.

A massive 163 visitors came along and really warmed us up with their enthusiasm, knowledge and amazement at what they could see. We actually saw 45 different species during the day!

Thank you so much for coming. Next one is Saturday 7th February 10am until 3pm. See you then.

23 August – Friends’ Walk Walks

23 August – Friends’ Walk

Sunday 23 August 2026 09:00 – 13:00

Meet at the car park (TN31 7TT).

Distance 8km, about 4 hours.

Walks will focus on seasonal birds and other wildlife of the reserve.

Walk routes will reflect weather, ground conditions and location of wildlife.

All walks are suitable for adults and accompanied children.

Please note that there are no toilet facilities once we have left the car park.

28 June – Friends’ Walk Walks

28 June – Friends’ Walk

Sunday 28 June 2026 09:00 – 13:00

Meet at the car park (TN31 7TT).

Distance 8km, about 4 hours.

Walks will focus on seasonal birds and other wildlife of the reserve.

Walk routes will reflect weather, ground conditions and location of wildlife.

All walks are suitable for adults and accompanied children.

Please note that there are no toilet facilities once we have left the car park.

14 November – Finding and Identifying Lichens in East Sussex Talks

14 November – Finding and Identifying Lichens in East…

Saturday 14th November 2026 1.30pm – 3pm at the Discovery Centre.

Keith Palmer will enlighten us as to the lichens that can to be found in local neighbourhoods including within Rye Harbour Nature Reserve and will demonstrate the diversity of the lichen flora of the county.

The talk will be illustrated by copious photographs of many species while the basic biology of lichens and the diverse characteristics they show will be covered though the focus will be on fairly common and conspicuous lichens.

Having been a naturalist since the mid-1960s, Keith arrived at lichens in the mid-80s. A one-time member of the British Lichen Society he surveyedover the next decade almost all churchyards in Kent where he then lived and a good many in Sussex, creating lists from over a thousand sites. While his main natural history interests have moved on in the present century, he retains an affection for lichens which after all do keep still while you are trying to study them at close quarters and, what’s more, can continue to be studied during the winter !

These talks are for members of The Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve only. There is no charge, though donations are gratefully accepted. If you are not a member of The Friends but would like to attend, please JOIN US and let us know.

Limited places are available and booking for members of The Friends will open at 8.00am on 1st October.
Please note that dogs (except for guide dogs that have been pre-booked) are not allowed at talks.

10 October – The Martello Towers Talks

10 October – The Martello Towers

Saturday 10th October 2026 1.30pm – 3pm at the Discovery Centre.

Peter Hibbs will be enlightening us as to their history and purpose.

These talks are for members of The Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve only. There is no charge, though donations are gratefully accepted. If you are not a member of The Friends but would like to attend, please JOIN US and let us know.

Limited places are available and booking for members of The Friends will open at 8.00am on 1st September.
Please note that dogs (except for guide dogs that have been pre-booked) are not allowed at talks.

12 September – The Waterlife Recovery Trust Talks

12 September – The Waterlife Recovery Trust

The Waterlife Recovery Trust and our work around Rye Harbour

Saturday 12th September 2026 1.30pm – 3pm at the Discovery Centre.

This talk introduces the Waterlife Recovery Trust (a charity formed in 2022) and our work with partners to help native wetland wildlife recover by tackling one key pressure: the invasive non-native American mink.

Mink are highly effective predators and can quickly wipe out local colonies of water voles, as well as taking wetland birds, amphibians and fish. Around Rye Harbour we work in collaboration with local organisations and land managers to detect mink presence and remove mink humanely using remotely monitored “smart” cage traps.

Alex Rumph, High Weald Project Officer from Waterlife Recovery Trust will explain how this catchment-based approach works in practice, what it means for species such as water voles and ground-nesting birds, and how local volunteers can play a vital role in keeping waterways mink-free.

These talks are for members of The Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve only. There is no charge, though donations are gratefully accepted. If you are not a member of The Friends but would like to attend, please JOIN US and let us know.

Limited places are available and booking for members of The Friends will open at 8.00am on 1st August.
Please note that dogs (except for guide dogs that have been pre-booked) are not allowed at talks.

08 August – Understanding Fossils Talks

08 August – Understanding Fossils

Saturday 8th August 2026 1.30pm – 3pm at the Discovery Centre.

In this illustrated talk Ken Brooks will explain how fossils are formed and their importance in reconstructing ancient environments, to the origins of present-day species. In the Hastings area we are fortunate in having a variety of fossilised remains, including plants, fish and dinosaurs and Ken will be sharing his knowledge of these with us.

These talks are for members of The Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve only. There is no charge, though donations are gratefully accepted. If you are not a member of The Friends but would like to attend, please JOIN US and let us know.

Limited places are available and booking for members of The Friends will open at 8.00am on 1st July.
Please note that dogs (except for guide dogs that have been pre-booked) are not allowed at talks.

11 July – Wonders of Winchelsea Beach Talks

11 July – Wonders of Winchelsea Beach

Saturday 11th July 2026 1.30pm – 3pm at the Discovery Centre.

Presented by Cliff Dean.

“Dogs Hill Road” What hill? What dogs? Whether you walk, cycle or swim here, you may never have noticed its mysterious features.

 I’ve lived for many years at the west end of the marsh and, since I arrive at the Nature Reserve from this direction, I’ve long puzzled over the features I notice.

This is not everybody’s idea of an “historic landscape” but once you start looking, you see a changing coast, battles against the sea, a vanished harbour, military defences, and a succession of dwellings from the improvised structures of early 20th century holidaymakers to the more recent gentrification, marking an astonishing transition from the barest shingle to a vegetated settlement.

These talks are for members of The Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve only. There is no charge, though donations are gratefully accepted. If you are not a member of The Friends but would like to attend, please JOIN US and let us know.

Limited places are available and booking for members of The Friends will open at 8.00am on 1st June.
Please note that dogs (except for guide dogs that have been pre-booked) are not allowed at talks.