Readers' travel photograph competition: April – spring

George Turnbull: Flowers and butterflies blend together in the early spring sunshine, a special time when colour comes back to the earth and new growth blossoms.
Photograph: George Turnbull/Guardian Witness

Chris Chilton: During a recent trip to Hawaii, I was driving across the Big Island late one afternoon and came across this beautiful spring meadow. As I stopped, I glimpsed a family of wild turkeys poking out of the flowers. I was the only one around and it was a wonderful, peaceful experience – a great ending to a great day.
Photograph: Chris Chilton/Guardian Witness

Elizabeth Purdie: I was lucky enough to visit the Tidal Basin in Washington DC after an overnight shower during peak bloom in April, resulting in a floor covering of blossom that mirrored the tree canopy above. I liked the way that both the bench and the grand Jefferson Memorial that it looks towards continue the reflection theme from the puddles and water.
Photograph: Elizabeth Purdie/Guardian Witness

Tony Sellen: After a 3am start I'd reached the top of Snowdon, only to be greeted by snow, thick cloud and a very strong wind. On the way back down the wind was moving the cloud and fog quickly. When the fog cleared I could see the green valleys and hills below lit by the sun shining through the cloud – the warm-looking spring morning a strong contrast to the cold winter I was standing in. Photograph: Tony Sellen/Guardian Witness

Dean Patrick: Tenmangu shrine in Kyoto, Japan, was built over 1,000 years ago to appease the angry spirit of poet, and politician Sugawara no Michizane. The grounds are filled with plum trees, which were his favourite. Every spring the trees burst into blossom and on 25 February a festival is held to celebrate, where geisha and maiko serve tea to thousands of guests in the gardens. I took this as one of the tea servers took a moment to rest in the afternoon sun. Photograph: Dean Patrick/Guardian Witness

vicvomit: On London's Docklands Light Railway, the train pauses for a few minutes. The docks are bathed in early spring sunshine at the end of a fine March day. The old cranes on the docks project wonderful shadows over the silhouetted figures who are dwarfed by their surroundings. I managed to snatch this shot with my phone through the train window before we were on the move again. You can see a slight reflection if you look carefully! Photograph: vicvomit/Guardian Witness

mapache: It might be a cliche but it's true – Paris is beautiful in the springtime. In the Jardin des Tuileries, it seemed as though all of Paris was out relaxing and enjoying the sunshine. The park was brimming with life, colour and that joie de vivre that the city exudes. If only we could bottle it and bring it back home …
Photograph: mapache/Guardian Witness

Emma Durnford, runner-up: At the moment the cherry blossom is stunning in Bushy Park in Teddington, south-west London. As I walked towards the trees the petals were falling like confetti just in one place, which seemed quite bizarre ... until I got a little closer. The Ring-necked parakeets (of which there are hundreds in this area) love the sweet nectar and working in flocks they systematically snip off the blossoms to access the sweetness. Within a few hours this small tree was quite bare of flowers.

Natalie Mayer, judge: What beautiful colours. Really, is there anything more lovely than pink cherry blossom against a blue sky? The addition of the parrot is a lovely extra colour element and it really sings spring! A little extra depth of field (high aperture number) would have bought the foreground flowers into focus and improved the image from a technical point of view. Photograph: Emma Durnford/Guardian Witness

Claire Waring, runner-up: Most people admire and photograph the London Eye from Westminster Bridge or from the promenade below, where they queue to board their 'flight'. However, round the corner is a different view of the cables connect to the main support structure. These taut lines are softened by an avenue of early flowering cherry trees – an angle less well known to visitors.

Natalie Mayer, judge: Lovely symmetry and contrast. This image would have worked well in black and white, although I can see that the spring blossom is more obvious in colour. The photographer might have also tried a shot without the pillars in the front. Aside from symmetry, they don’t really add much. In fact they are a little heavy and take away from the beauty of the trees. Still a well imagined and executed image of an iconic London scene in spring. Photograph: Claire Waring/Guardian Witness

Lisa Charlesworth, winner: I took this photo on a beach near Torrox in Andalucía, Spain. Originally it was going to be a snap of the sunbather who looked perfectly relaxed enjoying his sudoku in the spring sunshine. Then the scuba diver popped up from nowhere, making this a much more fun shot. In the summer I imagine this beach would be quite crowded, but at this time of year these two holidaymakers were both free to enjoy their activities in relative quiet.

Natalie Mayer, judge: This is a lovely capture. Not quite summer … but getting there. I like the two points of interest. My eye flits between the flippers and the sun bather, imagining the feeling of being each. Simple and effective composition, and a nicely captured moment in time.
Photograph: Lisa Charlesworth/Guardian Witness