THOUSANDS of snapshots capturing North-East wildlife have been whittled down to six winners in a region-wide photography competition.

Entries picturing toads, deer, birds and butterflies were chosen as the overall winners of categories in the 2016 North-East Wildlife Photography contest.

A touring exhibition of entries displaying an array of scenes from across the region has now arrived at the Guisborough Forest and Walkway Visitor Centre.

Steve Ashton, Tees Valley Wildlife Trust’s People and Wildlife manager, said: “The photographs entered are of a very high standard and everyone who managed to make it to the short list of around 140 photographs should be congratulated.”

The region’s wildlife trusts in Durham, Tees Valley and Northumberland have joined the Natural History Society of Northumbria, the Great North Museum: Hancock and Alan Hewitt Photography to launch the fifth annual competition for 2017.

Categories for wildlife portraits, wildlife in action, wildlife in the landscape, nature up close, young persons and mobile nature are now open to find the next would-be winners before May 2017.

For more information, or to enter the competition, visit northeastwildlifephoto.co.uk