By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 11:33 EST, 3 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:43 EST, 3 December 2013 . A fox stalking its prey, a kingfisher in flight and a cheeky dog licking his chops are just some of the animals captured on camera by talented young photographers, some aged just nine years old. The stunning pictures were taken by the finalists of the prestigious RSPCA Young Photographer Awards, which seeks to showcase the best nature photography captured by children and teenagers. Judges, including television presenter and wildlife expert Chris Packham, managed to whittle down thousands of entries to the annual contest to the 37 in line for the top prizes. Cheeky chops: This photograph of former RSPCA rescue dog Archie was taken by 15-year-old Rachel Kemp and is one of the 37-strong shortlist for the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards . Dawn Hunt: Oscar Dewhurst, 18, from London, snapped this fox stalking its prey through the snow . Finalists: Alex Worthington, 16, took this image of a New Forest pony, while Kyle Moore, 15, caught this Kingfisher on camera as it burst out of a river . An image of a tiny fluffy duckling trudging down a road, a girl hugging her beloved dog and a grandfather so so soothed by his pet cat that he falls asleep are among the impressive images. The collection also features a Chinese water deer bounding through a field, a fox in the snow and a wolf spider on a leaf. 'There are some gorgeous images here - I would be very proud if they were mine,' said panel chairman Mr Packham. 'I have judged this competition for many years and perhaps the best part for me is seeing the joy and enthusiasm for the animal kingdom radiate from the photographs. Talented: Nine-year-old Matt Gabrielli, from the Isle of Wight, took this picture of a lizard . Display: Stephen Josef Brown, 9, took this photograph of a peacock at a wildlife park . Leader of the pack: Matthew Hill, 15, from Radnage, took this photograph of a pack of wild dogs . Snow business: Owen Hearn, 15, from Leighton Buzzard was photographing fallow deer when he came across this fox out in the snow . Udderly brilliant: This hungry cow was captured on camera by 10-year-old Niall Eddleston from Waverton, Cheshire . Family pet: Joshua Burch's pet bearded dragon made the perfect subject for the 17-year-old from Sutton . 'There's some really lovely portraits of pets, full of affection, and the focus on British wildlife is at times stunning.' The shortlisted pictures, which were all taken by children and teenagers under 18, include a photo taken by Alice Hayden, 14, from Leyburn in North Yorkshire, who captured her sister hugging their pet dog Poppy. She said: 'Our cocker spaniel, Poppy, is a really important member of our family. She is a very happy dog who loves being with people and is a great companion. 'We were on holiday on the Isle of Skye and it was still a lovely afternoon so my sister was sitting on a wall watching terns flying over the sea where the ferry was crossing. 'Poppy wanted to look too, so we lifted her up and she sat down and leant her head on my sister's shoulder. Best friends, giving each other a hug.' Feathered friends: 17-year-old Joe Wynn from Manchester photographed this bird on the Dee Estuary at the Welsh-English border . Hanging around: James Gabrielli, nine, from Newport of the Isle of Wight, took this photograph of a moth taking a rest close to a railway line . Rachel Kemp, 15, from Colchester, Essex also took a picture of a dog, Springer Spaniel Archie, who she captured licking his lips with glee. She said: 'In Archie's three years of life, he's been through various different homes, including the RSPCA itself. 'When we first got him, he was extremely timid, which then caused him to be wary of people in general and any other dogs he was introduced to. In the beginning, he even took his time to get used to us, his own family - but looking at him now you would never have guessed he'd have ever been like that.' Bird of a feather: Harry Butler was visiting RSPB Snettisham when the 15-year-old took this photograph of a male linnet . Movement: Alicia Hayden, 14, from Spennithorne, Leyburn, wanted to capture the movement of cocker spaniel Poppy in her photograph . Puppy love: Alicia also took this photograph of her dog Poppy . Nine-year-old Matt Gabrielli is one of the contest's youngest finalists, snapping a shot of a wall lizard at Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. 'They can be hard to spot and are quite shy,' he said. 'After lots of looking, I saw one coming out of its hiding place. It looked at me, and I looked at it. Luckily, I took this photo before it darted off over the stone wall.' Oscar Dewhurst, 18, from London, made the most of his school being closed to take a picture of a fox in the snow, while Kyle Moore, 15, from Lowestof, Suffolk spent ages trying to capture the perfect shot of a kingfisher bursting from the river. Bounding with joy: Edie Matthewson, 10, from Culbokie, Dingwall, Scotland, says her dog Lulu loves jumping . Deer deer: Owen Hearn also took this photograph of a Chinese water deer running towards him . Creepy crawly: James Gabrielli took this photograph of a wolf spider near his home . Alex Worthington, 16, from Bowerham, Lancaster, used an in-camera filter to emphasize the dramatic cloud above the New Forest moorland, which provided the perfect backdrop for his photograph of a pony. 'As the pony approached me, I positioned myself lower to make myself less intimidating and also to capture the composition I wanted to achieve,' he said. 'I visualised the sky that the filter would create, so I made sure plenty was included, providing the image with a striking sense of drama.' Another image by 13-year-old Myles Worthington, from Bowerham in Lancaster, shows his Grandad taking a nap with his long-haired cat, Fluff. In a flap: 18-year-old Will Nicholls from Hexham, Northumberland, took this photograph of a fight between a redpoll and a sisken . A dog's life: Samantha Webster, 17, from Birmingham took this photograph of her pet beagles Samson and Delilah sharing their favorite toy . Cat nap: Myles Worthington caught his grandfather having a quick nap alongside his long-haired cat Fluff. The 13-year-old from Bowerham, Lancaster said his picture showed how cats can help you relax . He said: 'This shows one of the many situations in which cats make life better - they help you relax and feel contented. 'Grandad was so relaxed he fell asleep with Fluff and the newspaper in his arms. I love the fact they are both asleep and all's well with the world.' Niall Eddleston, 10, from Waverton, Cheshire caught a close-up of a cow in another shot, whilst 17-year-old Samantha Webster, from Birmingham took a photo of her two beagles sharing their favourite toy. Other creatures caught on camera include a peacock, taken by nine-year-old Stephen Josef Brown from Kent at a wildlife park, and a pack of wild dogs, by 15-year-old Matthew Hill, from Radnage in Buckinghamshire. The overall winners will be announced later this month. Gotcha: Alex Berryman, 16, from Fleet, Hampshire was lucky to capture this egret in the moment the bird caught a fish . The Long Walk Home: 18-year-old Amy Wilton from Fareham. Hampshire, lay flat on her stomach to take this cute picture of a tiny duckling .
Photographs were taken by the finalists of the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards .
Judge and wildlife expert Chris Packham picked shortlist of 37 from thousands of entries .
Presenter said he would be proud to have taken any of the stunning shots .
Winners of prestigious award will be announced later this month .
By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 11:33 EST, 3 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:43 EST, 3 December 2013 . A fox stalking its prey, a kingfisher in flight and a cheeky dog licking his chops are just some of the animals captured on camera by talented young photographers, some aged just nine years old. The stunning pictures were taken by the finalists of the prestigious RSPCA Young Photographer Awards, which seeks to showcase the best nature photography captured by children and teenagers. Judges, including television presenter and wildlife expert Chris Packham, managed to whittle down thousands of entries to the annual contest to the 37 in line for the top prizes. Cheeky chops: This photograph of former RSPCA rescue dog Archie was taken by 15-year-old Rachel Kemp and is one of the 37-strong shortlist for the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards . Dawn Hunt: Oscar Dewhurst, 18, from London, snapped this fox stalking its prey through the snow . Finalists: Alex Worthington, 16, took this image of a New Forest pony, while Kyle Moore, 15, caught this Kingfisher on camera as it burst out of a river . An image of a tiny fluffy duckling trudging down a road, a girl hugging her beloved dog and a grandfather so so soothed by his pet cat that he falls asleep are among the impressive images. The collection also features a Chinese water deer bounding through a field, a fox in the snow and a wolf spider on a leaf. 'There are some gorgeous images here - I would be very proud if they were mine,' said panel chairman Mr Packham. 'I have judged this competition for many years and perhaps the best part for me is seeing the joy and enthusiasm for the animal kingdom radiate from the photographs. Talented: Nine-year-old Matt Gabrielli, from the Isle of Wight, took this picture of a lizard . Display: Stephen Josef Brown, 9, took this photograph of a peacock at a wildlife park . Leader of the pack: Matthew Hill, 15, from Radnage, took this photograph of a pack of wild dogs . Snow business: Owen Hearn, 15, from Leighton Buzzard was photographing fallow deer when he came across this fox out in the snow . Udderly brilliant: This hungry cow was captured on camera by 10-year-old Niall Eddleston from Waverton, Cheshire . Family pet: Joshua Burch's pet bearded dragon made the perfect subject for the 17-year-old from Sutton . 'There's some really lovely portraits of pets, full of affection, and the focus on British wildlife is at times stunning.' The shortlisted pictures, which were all taken by children and teenagers under 18, include a photo taken by Alice Hayden, 14, from Leyburn in North Yorkshire, who captured her sister hugging their pet dog Poppy. She said: 'Our cocker spaniel, Poppy, is a really important member of our family. She is a very happy dog who loves being with people and is a great companion. 'We were on holiday on the Isle of Skye and it was still a lovely afternoon so my sister was sitting on a wall watching terns flying over the sea where the ferry was crossing. 'Poppy wanted to look too, so we lifted her up and she sat down and leant her head on my sister's shoulder. Best friends, giving each other a hug.' Feathered friends: 17-year-old Joe Wynn from Manchester photographed this bird on the Dee Estuary at the Welsh-English border . Hanging around: James Gabrielli, nine, from Newport of the Isle of Wight, took this photograph of a moth taking a rest close to a railway line . Rachel Kemp, 15, from Colchester, Essex also took a picture of a dog, Springer Spaniel Archie, who she captured licking his lips with glee. She said: 'In Archie's three years of life, he's been through various different homes, including the RSPCA itself. 'When we first got him, he was extremely timid, which then caused him to be wary of people in general and any other dogs he was introduced to. In the beginning, he even took his time to get used to us, his own family - but looking at him now you would never have guessed he'd have ever been like that.' Bird of a feather: Harry Butler was visiting RSPB Snettisham when the 15-year-old took this photograph of a male linnet . Movement: Alicia Hayden, 14, from Spennithorne, Leyburn, wanted to capture the movement of cocker spaniel Poppy in her photograph . Puppy love: Alicia also took this photograph of her dog Poppy . Nine-year-old Matt Gabrielli is one of the contest's youngest finalists, snapping a shot of a wall lizard at Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. 'They can be hard to spot and are quite shy,' he said. 'After lots of looking, I saw one coming out of its hiding place. It looked at me, and I looked at it. Luckily, I took this photo before it darted off over the stone wall.' Oscar Dewhurst, 18, from London, made the most of his school being closed to take a picture of a fox in the snow, while Kyle Moore, 15, from Lowestof, Suffolk spent ages trying to capture the perfect shot of a kingfisher bursting from the river. Bounding with joy: Edie Matthewson, 10, from Culbokie, Dingwall, Scotland, says her dog Lulu loves jumping . Deer deer: Owen Hearn also took this photograph of a Chinese water deer running towards him . Creepy crawly: James Gabrielli took this photograph of a wolf spider near his home . Alex Worthington, 16, from Bowerham, Lancaster, used an in-camera filter to emphasize the dramatic cloud above the New Forest moorland, which provided the perfect backdrop for his photograph of a pony. 'As the pony approached me, I positioned myself lower to make myself less intimidating and also to capture the composition I wanted to achieve,' he said. 'I visualised the sky that the filter would create, so I made sure plenty was included, providing the image with a striking sense of drama.' Another image by 13-year-old Myles Worthington, from Bowerham in Lancaster, shows his Grandad taking a nap with his long-haired cat, Fluff. In a flap: 18-year-old Will Nicholls from Hexham, Northumberland, took this photograph of a fight between a redpoll and a sisken . A dog's life: Samantha Webster, 17, from Birmingham took this photograph of her pet beagles Samson and Delilah sharing their favorite toy . Cat nap: Myles Worthington caught his grandfather having a quick nap alongside his long-haired cat Fluff. The 13-year-old from Bowerham, Lancaster said his picture showed how cats can help you relax . He said: 'This shows one of the many situations in which cats make life better - they help you relax and feel contented. 'Grandad was so relaxed he fell asleep with Fluff and the newspaper in his arms. I love the fact they are both asleep and all's well with the world.' Niall Eddleston, 10, from Waverton, Cheshire caught a close-up of a cow in another shot, whilst 17-year-old Samantha Webster, from Birmingham took a photo of her two beagles sharing their favourite toy. Other creatures caught on camera include a peacock, taken by nine-year-old Stephen Josef Brown from Kent at a wildlife park, and a pack of wild dogs, by 15-year-old Matthew Hill, from Radnage in Buckinghamshire. The overall winners will be announced later this month. Gotcha: Alex Berryman, 16, from Fleet, Hampshire was lucky to capture this egret in the moment the bird caught a fish . The Long Walk Home: 18-year-old Amy Wilton from Fareham. Hampshire, lay flat on her stomach to take this cute picture of a tiny duckling .
taken by the finalists of the prestigious RSPCA Young Photographer Awards, which seeks to television presenter and wildlife expert Chris Packham, managed to whittle down thousands of 37-strong shortlist for the RSPCA Young images here - I would be very proud if they were announced later this month. Gotcha: Alex