SERIOUS wildlife photographers had every right to claim fowl-play after a newcomer from Suffolk scooped top prize at a star-studded London awards night.
Lee Acaster, pronounced the overall winner of the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2104, admitted that his stunning shot of a greylag goose by the Thames was a bit of a fluke.
The father-of-two is better known for his landscape photography and admitted this was the first portrait of an animal he had ever taken.

He was actually focusing on the landscape along the river when his winning subject waddled into his view finder.
He said: “I was set up for shooting a stormy cityscape when I came across the goose sat on the river wall. Expecting it to fly away as I got nearer, I was surprised to find that it just stood there looking at me.
“It was technically incredibly difficult to get the shot, holding a flash out in one hand and my camera in the other while trying to focus on the goose by moving closer to him without scaring him away.
“I ended up being just a few inches away from him for the final image.
“He was still stood on the wall as I left, probably wondering what on earth the strange man with the flashing light was doing.”
The graphic designer’s portrait shot, entitled Urban Tourist, won the highest praise from the event’s host Chris Packham, who is infamous for his critical eye.
He told a packed Mall Gallery: “It was the right bird at the right place at the right time.
“Any other more colourful, Versace-esque bird, like a mandarin goose, would have just been wrong in this context.”
Packham enthused: “It is looking over its shoulder straight into the lens which gives it a composition that really works.
“It is usually one of those common animals that you don’t take a second look at but up close it is amazing. It gives you the chance to really look at the animal.
“Look at its beak, You can see the series of combs along its edge that it uses in feeding.
“It’s got that feminine form that I like.
“The judges liked it as it epitomised what this competition is all about: wildlife that you might have forgotten to look at, in our backyards, fields and parks nearby us.”
Acaster said his life has been a whirlwind since he found out he had won the award back in June, and it had been difficult to keep a secret due to media and publishing interest.
He said that after claiming his £5,000 he might focus on more animals in the future. His winning shot will now feature in the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2014 book, and takes pride of place in the exhibition touring the country.