My 2025 Audubon Photography Awards Contest Entries
It’s that time of year again.
Yes, the 2025 Audubon Photography Awards contest is now open for entries. This is bird photography’s most prestigious contest, so winning is a really big deal. Even having a photo in the top 100 is a huge honor.
In last year’s contest I submitted 10 photos. Soon after I submitted the photos, I moved to Kentucky. Then, Audubon contacted me about one of the photos and asked for a copy of the unedited RAW file. Since I had recently moved, the computer with these RAW files was in storage in Florida and I had to withdraw my photo from the contest. A big oops and a lesson learned.
This year I selected eight photos for the contest. Five were taken in Florida and three were taken in Kentucky. I went back, verified I had the RAW files, and re-edited them to make sure they were in compliance with contest rules.
So without further adieu, and in no particular order…
Eastern Meadowlark in a freshly mowed field. Nikon Z8 with Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 400.
OK, I know what you are thinking. What is this? I know, it’s not a crazy pretty photo. It’s a photo with a story though. This photo was taken at Camp Nelson National Monument in Nicholasville, KY on July 27, 2024. Three weeks prior to taking this photo I had gone to Camp Nelson where there were beautiful fields of tall grass that were alive with movement, waving like water as the wind blew. There were several Indigo Buntings that I photographed, but I really wanted to return to photograph the Bobolinks which were keeping their distance. When I arrived, I was stunned to see all the grass had been mowed. Not just one field, or two, but all of it.
Haying fields is a common practice in Kentucky. It’s done to manage pests and weeds, and the hay is a valuable commodity used to support horses and other livestock. While I would have preferred that they didn’t mow the fields and leave the habitat as-is for the wildlife, on a somewhat positive note these fields were cut in mid- to late July, minimizing impacts to nesting birds. Still, I felt really bad for this Eastern Meadowlark, sitting all alone in a mowed field that used to be his home.
Roseate Spoonbill in the rain. Nikon Z8 with Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/2500 sec, ISO 5000.
This photo of a Roseate Spoonbill perched atop a palm tree was taken at Orlando Wetlands in Christmas, FL on February 15, 2025. It was my first visit to Orlando Wetlands and I was thrilled to see Roseate Spoonbills. Although rain was not in the forecast, intermittent early morning showers kept the photography interesting. With closed eyes, this bird didn’t seem to mind the rain at all. This bird is in its breeding plumage, with deep pink feathers and a supersaturated carmine wing bar. An absolutely beautiful bird.
Dickcissel perched on chicory. Nikon Z8 with Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/3200 sec, ISO 720.
This photograph of a Dickcissel was taken on private property in Fayette County, Kentucky on June 9, 2024. Chicory is a perennial plant that grows in Kentucky and is used as livestock forage. It can be found in fields throughout the Bluegrass region. Dickcissels are often found in fields of chicory, which are characterized by their bright blue flowers. Dickcissels gather seeds from these plants.
Dinner time! Nikon Z8 with Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/3200 sec, ISO 4500.
This photograph of Barn Swallows was taken at Masterson Station Park, a suburban park in Lexington, KY on June 9, 2024. While walking along a path I caught sight of a small bird perched on the end of a bare tree limb. When I looked closer, I could see five or six other birds similarly perched in the tree. I paused, and a few moments later all these birds started chirping and opening their mouths. An adult Barn Swallow swooped in and deposited food into a couple of the fledgeling’s mouths.
Once I realized what was happening, I kept back to avoid disturbing the birds and focused my 800mm supertelephoto lens on the fledgeling on the lowest branch. I knew to start taking photos as soon as it opened its mouth. Most of the time, the adult fed its siblings, but I knew this bird would eventually get fed. Sure enough, after several dinner runs the adult swooped in with a mouthful of flies and this little lad got a mouthful.
Painted Bunting. Nikon Z8 with Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1000 sec, ISO 1600.
This photograph of a Painted Bunting was taken at the Celery Fields in Sarasota, FL on January 19, 2025. While at the park, I learned of a vote coming before the Sarasota County Commission on whether a 50-acre farm adjacent to the Celery Fields would be re-zoned to allow for the development of the land to create a new 126 single-family home community. Fortunately, the County Commission unanimously voted 5-0 against the effort.
This positive outcome may not have happened if it were not for the outspoken efforts of Sarasota Audubon and other community groups calling for the protection of wildlife, like this Painted Bunting, that rely upon the habitat at the Celery Fields.
Reddish Egret (white morph). Nikon Z8 with Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/3200 sec, ISO 250.
This photograph of a Reddish Egret (white morph) was taken at Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida on February 3, 2024. The Reddish Egret is dimporphic in plumage, with a dark and a white morph. The white morph is less common in Florida, so it’s always a treat to see. It’s also usually chased away by the resident dark morphs at Fort De Soto, so when I saw this bird in full breeding plumage, as indicated by its two-toned beak, I was bouncing with excitement.
I managed to get about five minutes with this bird before a pair of dark morphs came in and chased him off. This bird is popular for its foraging behavior as it “dances” in the water, quickly changing direction and throwing his wings from side to side for balance and shade.
Reddish Egret (dark morph). Nikon Z8 with Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/8, 1/3200 sec, ISO 1100.
Not to be outdone by its white morph cousin, the dark morph is an absolutely beautiful bird. This Reddish Egret is also in its breeding plumage, with a two-toned beak, lilac lores, and bluish legs. Its long cinnamon-colored neck feathers give it a “maned” appearance. The Reddish Egret makes good use of its wings on these hunts. It will use them for balance and often times, shade the water to improve its ability to see. This photograph was taken at Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida on February 10, 2024.
Northern Cardinal (leucistic). Nikon Z8 with Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/8, 1/800 sec, ISO 1800.
This photograph of a leucistic Northern Cardinal was taken at the Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, FL on February 15, 2025. As I described in a previous post, it was quite an effort to find this bird. Mostly white with some pink and tan coloration on its wings, tail, and back, this leucistic Northern Cardinal almost doesn’t look real. In fact, while sitting in the tree he looked like a toy. Leu Gardens is a busy botanical gardens, so I really enjoyed pointing out this “white cardinal” to people not attuned to looking at birds.
One lady told me that I made her day by pointing out this bird. I’d like to think that this unique bird, by choosing to live in an urban botanical garden with lots of people (and cameras) around, is also choosing to be a bird ambassador - to stimulate interest in birding which might lead to conservation and protection.
So there you are - my entries in the 2025 Audubon Photography Awards. Each submission costs $15, so hopefully I will win something and get my $120 back. I will let you know if I do!
Happy birding!
