A NATURE reserve is to hold an exhibition of the wildlife photography taken there this year.

Tophill Low Nature Reserve, near Driffield, will host the Christmas exhibition of wildlife photographs, which were exclusively taken by amateur photographers at the Yorkshire Water reserve during 2018.

Warden Richard Hampshire said: “We have some stunning wildlife in East Yorkshire and the images that our photographers get are incredible, proving you don’t need to travel to the ends of the earth to frame something special.

"As the price of digital equipment and capable entry-level bridge cameras comes down all the time, so the accessibility, standard and number of wildlife photographers has gone up.

"Many publish their images on social media - but often they fall off the radar fast and it’s a shame a wider audience don’t get to appreciate them fully.”

The reserve has several categories including ‘Best Kingfisher', so prolific are the birds at Tophill Low.

Richard added: “Yorkshire Water and the 42-plus volunteers have undertaken a lot of work enhancing the reserve's habitats to boost wildlife over the last year, and this is the perfect celebration of our successes – all in the setting of the new Reception Hide that scooped up its own awards this summer from the Royal Institute of British Architects as one of the best new buildings in Yorkshire.”

The exhibition is free with standard admission and is open daily from 10am to 4pm from Sunday, December 16 to Sunday, January 6.

New Year’s Day also sees the reserve's annual year listing day with guided walks at 10am and 1.30pm to try and see as many birds as possible. 80 species were recorded in 2018.

The reserve is signposted 4 miles from Watton on the A164 Beverley to Driffield road.

Admission is for £3.50 adults, £1.80 for concessions. No dogs are allowed.