SNAPPERS chasing the perfect photo of the Worcestershire countryside bathed in crisp autumn sunshine have until the end of the month to enter a regional wildlife competition.

The West Midlands Wildlife Photography Competition deadline for submitted photographs is Sunday, October 31, and the top prize will be a Sigma telephoto and close-up lens.

The competition has been organised by the West Midlands Bio-diversity Partnership to raise the profile of the wide range of and wildlife in the region.

"We are delighted to be hosting this photographic competition to celebrate the wildlife of the West Midlands and its importance to local people," said Steve Holliday, chairman of the partnership.

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He said he hoped the competition would encourage more people to explore the countryside.

There are four categories in the competition: Landscapes, Species, Our Connection with Nature, and a Junior Wildlife Photography award for under-16s.

An overall winner will be picked from the winners of each category.

One judge will be award-winning photographer Nick Garbutt, who has had work published in BBC Wildlife and National Geographic magazines.

The prize-giving ceremony will be held in the Birmingham Botanical Gardens in January 2005.

For more information about entering the competition, visit www.wmbp.org, or contact Helen Taylor, on 0121 454 8018.