A Yorkshire wildlife photographer has received international recognition at a photography competition in the US, for his photograph capturing the amazing wildlife of the Yorkshire Coast.

Steve Race, Education and Outreach officer at RSPB Bempton Cliffs received an ‘Honourable Mention’ for his photograph, ‘True Love’ in the BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition. The image, which was taken at the East Yorkshire nature reserve, shows a gannet and its mate wearing a ‘necklace’ of red Campion and was one of more than 6,300 entries received.

The California Academy of Sciences’ BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition celebrates the rich diversity of life on Earth and the wonders of the natural world through a photographic lens. It is open to photographers from around the world and attracts high-calibre nature, wildlife and conservation images.

Steve said: “I’m absolutely thrilled my image has been recognised in another international competition. It really is amazing.

“Gannets stay together for life and often show their affection by presenting one another with bits of foliage. In this instance a breeze caught the flowers and they wrapped around the bird’s neck. On another day, it might just have blown away.”

This latest achievement follows on from the photograph being commended in the ‘Bird Behaviour’ category of the 2013 Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards, and featuring in the exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London. The exhibition is now touring cities in the UK and across the world.

The winning images in the BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition are now on display, until 2 November 2014, at the California Academy of Sciences, one of the most prestigious science museums in the world. They are also available to view online at bigpicturecompetition.org.

Each year, around 23,000 gannets make their home on the cliffs from April to September, which makes Bempton Cliffs the UK’s largest mainland gannet colony. Five cliff edge viewpoints on the reserve give photographers and the public incredible close-up views of the birds.

Steve leads a number of photographer workshops at Bempton Cliffs, in partnership with his company, Yorkshire Coast Nature. For information on upcoming events, visit www.yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk/workshops or call 01723 865498.

For further information about the nature reserve itself, contact RSPB Bempton Cliffs on 01262 851179, email Bempton.cliffs@rspb.org.uk or visit www.rspb.org.uk/bemptoncliffs