By Isle of Wight Observer
Isle of Wight wildlife photographer, Siân Elizabeth, has been highly commended in the prestigious Bird Photographer of the Year (BPOTY) 2026 competition.
Siân received the recognition in the Birds in their Environment category for her image, Chinstrap Mountain, which was photographed in Antarctica.
Selected from around 24,000 images entered into the competition, the photograph captures a Chinstrap Penguin against the vast landscape of the Antarctic.
Rather than focusing on the penguin as a close-up wildlife portrait, the image places the bird within the dramatic environment on which it depends.
Chinstrap Mountain will also feature in the Bird Photographer of the Year 2026 Collection 11 book and will go on tour as part of the BPOTY Exhibition, alongside images selected from photographers around the world.
Siân, who photographs under the name Siân in the Wild, said: “To me this image represents resilience and I am so incredibly happy that the BPOTY judges saw in this image how I see and feel about it.
“I am so happy and proud, and feel honoured to be awarded alongside the best bird photographers in the world.”
Alongside her still photography, Siân has recently launched the Siân in the Wild YouTube channel, a wildlife and nature platform documenting encounters with wildlife and wild places through photography and film.
