I find birds interesting and have taken thousands of bird photos, most in the past several years. I recently decided to enter a photography contest focused on birds: the Bird Photographer of the Year contest. The contest allows you to enter 25 photos into one of 8 categories including: Best Portrait, Birds in the Environment, Bird Behaviour, Birds in Flight, Black and White, Urban Birds, Creative Perspectives, and Conservation. Sorting through all my bird photos was a lot of work, but also fun. For each entry you have to upload the photo, and provide a photo title, category, caption, species, camera and lens, location where the photo was taken, and country where the photo was taken. The instructions for what to include in the caption state: “Captions should be as detailed as possible and include information about the image such as: the story, how you got the shot, any special techniques needed, and (where applicable) any required permissions obtained for taking the photo.”
The previous iteration of the contest received 23,000 photo submissions, and the winning photos are exceptional. So I am under no illusion that the likelihood of any of my photos being selected is extremely low. However, because it was a lot of work to select the photos and provide all the required information for each of them, I decided to turn it into a post. So, without further ado, below are the 25 bird photos I have entered into the contest along with the required details about each of them.
Anhinga Portrait
Caption: Anhinga are specialized fish eaters. While swimming underwater they use their incredibly sharp bill, clearly apparent in this photo, to skewer fish. This photo of an Anhinga resting on the edge of a fence was taken while I walked the trails of the Sweetwater Wetlands Park in Gainesville, Florida.
Species: Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)
Camera and lens: Canon EOS R7. Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM Lens
Location: Sweetwater Wetlands Park, Alachua County, Florida
Country: USA
Business As Usual
Caption: Two American White Ibis forage in shallow waters as an American Alligator rests on a sandbar. Although it looks as if the alligator is stalking the birds, it remained motionless and was ignored as the birds continued about their business.
Species: American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)
Camera and lens: Canon EOS R7. Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM Lens
Location: Sweetwater Wetlands Park, Alachua County, Florida
Country: USA
Duck Ripple
Caption: A duck creates a ripple, surrounded by fish in beautiful turquoise water. This photo was taken while walking along the paths of Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia.
Species: Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos)
Camera and lens: Samsung Galaxy S10 (SM-G973U1)
Location: Plitvice Lakes National Park
Country: Croatia
Flamingos
Caption: Flamingos forage in the salty lakes outside Aigues-Mortes, France. I pulled over while driving in order to capture this idyllic scene.
Species: Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)
Camera and lens: Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
Location: Aigues-Mortes
Country: France
Flight Of The Wood Stork
Caption: A Wood Stork flies overhead, illuminated in the evening light. On summer evenings I would frequently walk the 1-mile La Chua Trail where this photo was taken.
Species: Wood Stork (Mycteria americana)
Camera and lens: Canon EOS R7. Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM Lens
Location: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Alachua County, Florida
Country: USA
Great Blue Heron With Gar
Caption: A Great Blue Heron struggles mightily to swallow a Florida Gar. For nearly half an hour the heron manipulated the injured gar in its bill and attempted to swallow it several times. Ultimately, the gar proved too awkward to swallow and it was dropped on the bank where it was soon eaten by an alligator.
Species: Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Camera and lens: Canon EOS R7. Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM Lens
Location: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Alachua County, Florida
Country: USA
Great Egret Portrait
Caption: A Great Egret adopts a classic pose in the evening light – its white body framed against a dark background. This egret is sitting upon an abandoned water control structure, which provides a vantage point in which to peer into the waters below.
Species: Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Camera and lens: Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
Location: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Alachua County, Florida
Country: USA
Heron at Sunrise
Caption: The sun rises at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, illuminating the brackish wetlands in pastel hues. A Great Blue Heron sits motionless in the shallow water. To capture this photo, I rose at dawn and drove to this lookout point hoping for some great early-morning wildlife viewing.
Species: Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Camera and lens: Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
Location: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Brevard County, Florida
Country: USA
Laughing Gull Eating Fish
Caption: While walking along the beach, I came upon a Laughing Gull manipulating a piece of fish in its beak. Assateague Island National Seashore is a popular surf fishing destination and it is likely this gull found a piece of cut fish that was discarded bait.
Species: Laughing gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)
Camera and lens: Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
Location: Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland
Country: USA
Lookout
Caption: A Black Vulture surveys the land from atop a fence post. A few weeks earlier a major fish-kill occurred at this site due to low water levels causing hypoxia. This attracted dozens of Black Vultures which feasted upon the dead fish present on the shores and sandbars. When not eating, the Black Vultures took up prominent positions and gazed off into the distance.
Species: Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
Camera and lens: Canon EOS R7. Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM Lens
Location: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Alachua County, Florida
Country: USA
Mallard in Turquoise Water
Caption: A Mallard duck stands out against a backdrop of turquoise water. This photo was taken while walking along the paths of Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia.
Species: Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos)
Camera and lens: Samsung Galaxy S10 (SM-G973U1)
Location: Plitvice Lakes National Park
Country: Croatia
Osprey and Bullhead
Caption: An Osprey flies away with a bullhead grasped in its talons. I did not witness the fish capture but consider myself lucky to have gotten numerous photos of this predatory interaction silhouetted against the evening sky.
Species: Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Camera and lens: Canon EOS R7. Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM Lens
Location: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Alachua County, Florida
Country: USA
Pelican On The Pier
Caption: Brown Pelicans wait expectantly for food on a fishing pier in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. This particular one threw back its head and opened its bill, making for a memorable photo.
Species: Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
Camera and lens: Samsung Galaxy S10 (SM-G973U1)
Location: Newport Fishing Pier, Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
Country: USA
Pelican Portrait
Caption: While fishing a few miles from shore (off Miami Beach) a pelican suddenly landed on the front of the boat. It looks as if it wants to say ‘have you got anything for me?’
Species: Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
Camera and lens: Samsung Galaxy S10 (SM-G973U1)
Location: Miami-Dade County, Florida
Country: USA
Preening Limpkin
Caption: Limpkin frequently sit on the boardwalk guardrails at La Chua trail, in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. Here, they are accustomed to people in close proximity. This individual was completely unperturbed and preened its feathers, allowing me to capture this moment from an eye-level perspective.
Species: Limpkin (Aramus guarauna)
Camera and lens: Canon EOS R7. Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM Lens
Location: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Alachua County, Florida
Country: USA
Purple Gallinule
Caption: A Purple Gallinule sits atop a sea of water hyacinth. These birds are seemingly always on the move, bobbing and weaving atop and amongst the shoreline vegetation. This one briefly remained still allowing me to frame its brilliant purple coloration against a backdrop of dark green.
Species: Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus)
Camera and lens: Canon EOS R7. Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM Lens
Location: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Alachua County, Florida
Country: USA
Ruffled Feathers
Caption: A pigeon with ruffled feathers sits in a birdbath at the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens. A moment earlier this pigeon shook its body, sending droplets of water flying through the air in all directions.
Species: Pigeon (Columba livia)
Camera and lens: Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
Location: Gibraltar Botanic Gardens
Country: Gibraltar
Scavengers
Caption: Turkey Vultures feast upon a dead Loggerhead Sea Turtle on the shore of Assateague Island, Maryland. The Ferris wheel and skyline of nearby Ocean City are visible in the background. I came upon this unique scene while walking along the undeveloped seashore of 6 Mile Beach. I watched from afar for about 15 minutes and took numerous photos with my lens at maximal zoom. There were as many as eight Turkey Vultures feeding on this behemoth, which I assumed washed up on shore dead. Interestingly, there was also a Golden Eagle sitting atop a nearby sand dune observing the situation. Given that Loggerhead Sea Turtles are listed as Vulnerable according to the IUCN, I later notified the Maryland Department of Natural Resources that one had washed ashore.
Species: Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura)
Camera and lens: Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
Location: Assateague Island, Maryland
Country: USA
Showing Off
Caption: A male Peacock displays his plumage. This male made a prolonged display in which he rotated 360 degrees giving all spectators (including me) a good view.
Species: Peacock (Pavo cristatus)
Camera and lens: Samsung Galaxy S10 (SM-G973U1)
Location: Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade County, Florida
Country: USA
Snowy Egret
Caption: A Snowy Egret sits atop a branch sticking out of the flooded waters of Alachua Sink. The water levels at this site fluctuate greatly throughout the year providing varied wildlife photography opportunities. This photo illustrates a classic egret pose, with delicate white plumage set against dark water.
Species: Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
Camera and lens: Canon EOS R7. Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM Lens
Location: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Alachua County, Florida
Country: USA
The Chase
Caption: A fearless Red-winged Blackbird chases away a much larger crow. I managed to capture several images of this fleeting interaction. This one was the most striking as the crow’s mouth is agape.
Species: Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) chasing a crow
Camera and lens: Canon EOS R7. Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM Lens
Location: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Alachua County, Florida
Country: USA
Urban Park Goose
Caption: A Graylag Goose wanders the mowed grass in an urban park in Munich. This park, known as the English Garden, contained numerous different species of waterfowl in close proximity to humans. I like this photo because it illustrates this closeness with sunbathers and volleyball players in the background.
Species: Graylag Goose (Anser anser)
Camera and lens: Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
Location: English Garden, Munich
Country: Germany
Watchful
Caption: A mother Mallard and her baby keep a watchful eye on me at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Species: Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos)
Camera and lens: Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
Location: Washington D.C.
Country: USA
Wingspan
Caption: A Great Blue Heron takes flight at La Chua Trail in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. At the time this photo was taken there was a major fish kill at this site due to low water levels causing hypoxia. This attracted numerous birds of prey and scavengers. In the background of this photo there is another Great Blue Heron, a Black Vulture, and an American Alligator.
Species: Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Camera and lens: Canon EOS R7. Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM Lens
Location: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Alachua County, Florida
Country: USA
Yawning Royal Tern
Caption: A Royal Tern opens its mouth wide. This photo was taken mid-day in mid-November 2023 on a beach in Melbourne, Florida. This particular tern has a silver bird band on its right leg, which allows researchers to individually identify it.
Species: Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus)
Camera and lens: Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
Location: Melbourne, Florida
Country: USA
Reason and Nature 
Amazing photos! Good luck in the contest!
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Some very nice work! I particularly like the foot detail in the pelican portrait.
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