Announcing the winner of our under-25 MigFest Competition
15 December 2025
We are delighted to share the results of this year’s ‘Capturing a Moment’ competition, captured during the 2025 Spurn Migration Festival (MigFest), and subsequently submitted to our competition open to attendees under the age of 25. The competition invited young people to show us a moment that represented MigFest for them – whether through photography, illustration, poetry or any creative medium.
The brief encouraged entrants to explore what MigFest means personally: the wildlife, the landscapes, the people, migration, or simply the atmosphere that makes Spurn so special during migration season and, specifically, MigFest. Each entry offered a unique and thoughtful window into the festival weekend.
We are pleased to announce that the winning entry came from Lucas Burfield, whose superb photograph captured a beautifully observed moment on the Humber shoreline featuring one of the weekend’s birding highlights – the Red-necked Phalarope. His image brings together movement, perspective and – most importantly – fieldcraft. It perfectly encapsulates one of this year’s most memorable MigFest moments.
Below is the winning photograph with it’s equally as important caption:
Caption: Many come to Migfest for the birds, and with patience, the birds will come to you in return.
“Smashing photo and a perfect caption! This proves that you don’t always need a ‘frame-filler’ bird for it to be a great bird photo. I really like the fact that they have captured so many elements in one scene: the churning waves, the seaweed, a fellow photographer and, of course, the bird itself. It gives real context to the image.”
“A nice description of expert field craft. Get into position first, then let the bird come closer to you on its own! The composition highlights the incredible experiences at MigFest.”
Lucas is now the owner of a pair of ZEISS Terra ED 32 binoculars in recognition of his winning submission, and we thank ZEISS for kindly donating the brilliant prize.
Below, we are proud to showcase other submissions to this year’s competition – each one reflecting a personal MigFest moment through creativity, observation and enthusiasm.
Clouded Yellow Butterfly – Theo Fairbrother
Caption: This is a Clouded Yellow Butterfly. They don’t breed in the UK so this one has flown across the sea from mainland Europe to reach Spurn, where there have been record numbers this year. They love the purple flowers and I was lucky enough to spot this one savouring this thistle close to Chalk Bank Hide. I’m always amazed that such a small creature can travel so far and it reminds me of all the other migrants that make incredible and difficult journeys - the epitome of Migfest.
“Beautiful. I’m yet to catch up with one of these butterflies, so I’m a little bit envious! I really like the soft-focus background, with its various shades of green, contrasting with the pop of colour in the foreground: you can almost hear the buzz of insects and feel the sunshine on your face when you look at this photo. The angle of the thistle and the butterfly placement make for a really pleasing image. I love that they’ve included a bit of background information in their caption and have tied this with the theme of migration.”
“A nice image of an unexpected migrant! Perfect caption too, encapsulating the whole reason we host MigFest every year!”
Red-necked Phalarope – Milo Dawes
Caption: This Red-necked Phalarope was the highlight for many, and a brilliant way to end the weekend. It also brought everyone together, and allowed me to catch up with many old friends.
“I like the composition and inclusion of bubbles on the surface of the water. The caption links to the connecting power of birds, especially for an event already bringing people together like Migfest does.”
“A really lovely image: sharp focus on the bird and they’ve also captured the movement of the water. I particularly like the damp feathers on the head! I quite like the angle of this photo too, as it gives the impression that the Phalarope is riding the waves. Great composition with the bird off to one side and the choppy water of the Humber providing a soft-focus background. A brilliant bird and a lifer for lots of attendees, the caption fits perfectly.”
Meadow Pipit – Noah Bailey
Caption: “I was really looking forward to Migfest this year, and it didn't disappoint. What stuck out for me the most was the sheer volume of Meadow Pipits migrating. Migfest really lived up to its name. I enjoyed counting them as they headed over the Warren on Sunday Morning. One even happened to land next to me.”
“A lovely picture of ‘bird in place’ with the North Sea in the background. Spurn regulars will know exactly where this was taken. Meadow Pipits are also quite totemic Migfest birds, especially during a weekend of south-westerlies, so good to have one featured in the competition.”
“A crisp, clean image of an iconic Migfest species. What a super little bird! I think this is a striking photo as it makes you wonder what thoughts are going through the mind of that bird. At the risk of anthropomorphizing, it almost looks as though they are taking a quiet moment to breathe and compose themselves, before contemplating the long journey ahead. A great caption– well done for getting involved in the important task of counting! Celebrates not just rare sightings, but the joy of witnessing migration in action at MigFest.”
“Phwoar!!!! Now this is what MigFest is all about! Look at those hind claws. Who doesn’t love Meadow Pipits?”
We warmly encourage future entrants to submit any artistic response that captures their MigFest experience – whether through photography, drawings, paintings, poetry, or other creative expressions. The competition exists to celebrate the many ways young people connect with Spurn, and we look forward to seeing an even greater variety of creative forms in future years. For now, we are delighted to share these fantastic images, each accompanied by a thoughtful and fitting caption.
Sarah Harris, Chair & Director of the Spurn Bird Observatory Trust, said: “It is inspiring to see the enthusiasm among young people attending MigFest each year, and fascinating to see what moments stood out most for the entrants. Each submission captured a different aspect of MigFest, or offered a fresh take on the same moment, reminding us how meaningful these encounters are. We hope even more young artists, writers and photographers will take part in years to come. Thanks to our judges – Jonnie Fisk, Georgia French, Rob Hunton and Thomas Willoughby – for voting for the winner, which is no simple task! And, of course, to ZEISS for supporting this competition.”
