I often participate in Project FeederWatch’s BirdSpotter photo contests, keeping in mind that my chances of winning were probably were low. The main reason why I submitted photos was to hopefully get recognized, like I did last year when my colorful backyard bird photo made it on Cornell’s Facebook page and caught the eye of an editor from the National Wildlife Magazine. That photo ended up getting published in the NWF Magazine.
This past December, I had another photo recognized as an Eyecatcher by Cornell with the theme of Natural Foods.
American Kestrel eating a crab in Cape May Meadows, New Jersey
Later that month I submitted a newly captured photo for the theme Hints of Red. I was surprised that it won first place for the week!
House Finch looking ay my camera at the right moment
Last week, voting took place between all twelve winners for the grand prize, which includes a three-day trip to Oregon. I was convinced that there was no way I could win it because some of the other photos seemed a bit more “fun” than mine.
It turns out that I was wrong! My little curious finch WON!
This is the first time one of my photos won anything! I aim for getting unique photos that show emotion rather than photos that are perfect in a technical sense, and I think that is exactly what this photo shows.
Complete results can be found on the BirdSpotter 2013 website.