The resulting photograph has now been selected for Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s 2027 calendar, where it will feature in January, giving Finley a special reminder of the wildlife he has encountered on his own doorstep.

Finley, who is studying a Wildlife Conservation and Ecology degree at the Nantwich-based university centre, had become familiar with the field voles around campus during his walks between lectures and his accommodation. So, he settled down beside the campus lake, keeping a respectful distance from the animals and waiting to see if one would come within camera range.

“Students wandered past me, being respectful of their noise levels and their distance as well. Eventually, I managed to get the shot I’d been hoping for; a field vole looking towards me,” said Finley.

“I’m usually quite harsh on myself by believing that my photographs aren’t good enough, but I was really happy with the outcome of this image, so I decided it was worth entering. At the end of the day, it’s only a bit of fun.”

Finley’s interest in wildlife began at a young age and developed into a passion for wildlife photography in 2020. At Reaseheath, that interest has continued to grow through the hands-on experience of studying wildlife and ecology in the field.

“By learning out in the field, I developed my observational and identification skills, with the support of my lecturers, as well as fellow students,” he said.

His time at Reaseheath has brought plenty of wildlife encounters, from nuthatches, mistle thrushes and field voles to a kingfisher, red fox and even an otter. On late-night walks, he has heard tawny owls calling, while hedgehogs and foxes are among the other species regularly spotted around the site.

“The campus is plentiful for wildlife, sometimes you’ve just got to be patient,” he said.

Finley’s photograph for Cheshire Wildlife Trust is not his first taste of competition success. In 2023, he won the Youth category of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire’s photography competition with a picture of a barn owl in flight, which featured in its 2024 calendar.