The Winners Of The 2020 Audubon Photography Awards Are Spectacular
From a roadrunner snacking on a big fence lizard to a cormorant taking the plunge for a sardine supper, the winners of the National Audubon Society's 2020 Audubon Photography Awards have been announced and they're extraordinarily breathtaking.
This year, six prizes and four honorable mentions were announced, awarded on technical quality, originality, and artistic merit, all while committing to following ethical bird photography guidelines.
Judges, which included Jason Ward, the host of "Birds of North America," scoured through 6,000 submissions, sent from all 50 states and seven Canadian provinces, and graded each photographer's ability to effectively capture the "creativity, wonder, and beauty of species small and large, terrestrial and aquatic." Here are some of our favorites:
Grand Prize Winner
Species: Double-crested cormorant
Photographer: Joanna Lentini
Location: Los Islotes, Mexico
Outdoor adventure photographer Joanna Lentini spent hours underwater at this sea lion rookery in the Bay of La Paz and says she "never before encountered diving cormorants there," adding, "I watched in awe as the cormorants plunged beak-first into the sea to snap at the sardines swimming by."
Professional Winner
Species: Magnificent frigatebird
Photographer: Sue Dougherty
Location: Genovesa Island, Ecuador
Dougherty was in the vicinity of a frigatebird breeding colony in the Galápagos when she spotted this male with his "throat pouch lit up by the sun." "The birds were very active and stunningly close, and the experience was all the more special because I was with great friends who were equally mesmerized by the scene," Dougherty said.
Amateur Winner
Species: Bare-throated tiger-heron
Photographer: Gail Bisson
Location: Tárcoles River, Costa Rica
Bisson spotted this bare-throated Tiger-Heron while on a boat trip. "I raised my camera and quickly switched to a portrait orientation to capture the beautiful post-storm sky behind it," Bisson recalled.
Youth Winner
Species: Northern jacana
Photo: Vayun Tiwari/Audubon Photography Awards/2020 Youth Winner
Location: New River, Orange Walk District, Belize
While on a boat ride on the New River, Tiwari saw the bird nesting on water lilies and was surprised when it walked directly towards her camera.
Plants for Birds Winner
Species: American goldfinch
Photographer: Travis Bonovsky
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Bonovsky was fortunate to spot this bird in the gardens of North Mississippi Regional Park. "One late July day I was lucky enough to witness a female American Goldfinch plunge her head into a plant," he said.
Fisher Prize Winner
Species: American dipper
Photographer: Marlee Fuller-Morris
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Fuller-Morris was hiking on a "little-known trail in Yosemite" and saw an American Dipper make an splash in search of food.
Professional Honorable Mention
Species: Greater sage-grouse
Photographer: Gene Putney
Location: Jackson County, Colorado
Putney was watching this bird performing a mating ritual out on the prairie of Colorado. "I thought it was a neat perspective to get his photo from behind," he said.
Amateur Honorable Mention
Species: Anna's hummingbird
Photographer: Bibek Ghosh
Location: Ardenwood Historic Farm, California
Ghosh spotted this hummer on a historic farm that includes a "water fountain that's a magnet for birds." "I finally captured the bird succeeding at its game," Ghosh explained.
Youth Honorable Mention
Species: Greater roadrunner
Photographer: Christopher Smith
Location: San Joaquin River Parkway, California
Smith was visiting a nature preserve in Fresno when he heard the call of the roadrunner and followed it to find one bringing his mate a tasty treat in the form of a big fence lizard. "The roadrunner perched on a post above me for nearly 10 minutes," he said.
Plants for Birds Honorable Mention
Species: Tennessee warbler
Photographer: Natalie Robertson
Location: Point Pelee National Park, Ontario, Canada
Robertson spotted this bird perched on an eastern prickly gooseberry. "I was thrilled to get a clear image of this warbler drinking nectar from the tiny flowers."
[See more photos at Audubon]