Daniel Hauck: 'I'm inspired by photographing wildlife around me'

The red kite was the first bird Daniel Hauck photographed as he would see them circling over his house every day

A 23-year-old wildlife photographer who has won acclaim for his pictures has said his inspiration comes from the wildlife he sees on his "doorstep".

Daniel Hauck grew up in the village of Woodnewton in Northamptonshire and would regularly see red kites, deer and foxes.

He has since gone on to photograph wildlife in places like Botswana but said it was the animals he sees on his own "patch" that give him his biggest sense of pride and inspiration.

Mr Hauck said he compiles a yearly photo book to see how his photography had improved

Ospreys have long been top of Mr Hauck's list of birds to photograph and he took this image at nearby Rutland Water

"You don't need to go to exotic places when there's this on your doorstep," he said. "When I went to uni and people saw my images they would say: 'Where did you get that?' It was always nice to be able to say that it was from where I live.

"I particularly like getting images that I can say are from my patch. Much of my stuff is a short drive from where I live."

The Mandarin Duck at Barnwell County Park in Northamptonshire which is so colourful "you can't quite believe can be found in the UK"

With an Instagram following of 3,000, Mr Hauck has also received critical acclaim and his work was featured by Peter McKinnon, a photography expert with almost four million YouTube subscribers.

His images have seen him win a category in a national wildlife photography competition for students and recognition in a global young photographer award.

Mr Hauck said that the Kingfisher action shots, taken in Bourne in neighbouring Lincolnshire, require a lot of patience

"I take photos every time I get a chance - I always have my camera with me," he said.

The University of Bristol graduate admitted to "incredibly early morning starts" and "whole days" sitting in bird hides to capture the perfect shot.

"It's sometimes about sitting there and becoming part of the background, then the animals will come to you," he said.

Mr Hauck said it was amazing to see woodpeckers up close

His "passion for capturing images of birds in flight" started aged 14.

Mr Hauck, who is due to start a job with Anglian Water in September, said he "loves the challenge of trying to capture shots of wildlife that you struggle to see with the human eye".

Mr Hauck wanted to showcase how elegant the short-eared owl are in flight but also their characteristic face and eyes captured at Wicken Fen reserve in Cambridgeshire

It was incredibly difficult to track the owls, said Mr Hauck, as they dived in and out of the long grasses in the Fen

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