Burnley photographer wins praise at Lancaster Litfest with stunning photograph of elusive cuckoo in Leeds

An exquisite photograph of the iconic cuckoo has landed a Burnley photographer with a prestigious prize.
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Eagle-eyed Keith Bannister ruffled a few feathers when he managed to capture a stunning photograph of the elusive bird sat atop a tree trunk in a field near Leeds.

The photograph was one of three winning shots chosen to be displayed in a wildlife exhibition at Litfest, the Lancaster Literature Festival currently being held at The Storey in the city.

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Keith Bannister surveying his prize-winning photograph of a cuckoo at The Sorey, which is hosting the Lancaster LitfestKeith Bannister surveying his prize-winning photograph of a cuckoo at The Sorey, which is hosting the Lancaster Litfest
Keith Bannister surveying his prize-winning photograph of a cuckoo at The Sorey, which is hosting the Lancaster Litfest
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Mr Bannister, from Brunshaw Road, only took up photography seriously when he retired from Michelin several years ago.

He said: “I was really pleased with the shot. A lot of people hear a cuckoo but very rarely see them. It’s an iconic bird with a famous call, which lives in Africa for nine months. They only visit the UK to breed.

“A friend of mine has a hide near Leeds and he said there were cuckoos nearby. I had been in the hide for around two hours when I got the shot.”

While not popular with other birds – cuckoos are notorious brood parasites, laying their eggs in other birds’ nests – they are a favourite of Keith’s, who won praise in 2019 for another of his stunning photographs, that time of a rambunctious cuckoo squaring off mid-air with a sedge warbler.

Burnley photographer Keith Bannister's prize-winning shot of a cuckoo near LeedsBurnley photographer Keith Bannister's prize-winning shot of a cuckoo near Leeds
Burnley photographer Keith Bannister's prize-winning shot of a cuckoo near Leeds
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That earned him praise from the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers' Living World competition.

His prize this time was, not surprisingly, a huge bird book to add to his collection of around 25 similar books.