Grand Prize: You be the Judge « Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Grand Prize: You be the Judge

Grand Prize: You be the Judge

Well, we are almost at the end of the line: all the category winners in the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition have been announced. Join in the fun and pick your Grand Prize Winner. My belief is that the public vote here will match the judge’s vote. We shall see in a day or three.

Before you vote, please be sure to click on each image so that you can view it at full size. Then pick your five favorites and vote them 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 with 5 being your very favorite. Like this:

Roseate Spoonbills squabbling: 5
Siskins fighting: 4
Snowy Egrets midair combat: 3
Great Crested Grebe displaying: 2
Common Tern feeding chick: 1

Please do not let the votes of others or the names assigned to the images influence your vote. Please put each of your five favorites on its own line by hitting “enter” after each one. No ties; please assign a single digit, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 to each of your five favorites. As you will see there are a great many dramatic images here.

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Captive Category Winner

“Toco Toucan” by Stan Hoyt

Youth Category Winner

“Merlin on fence post” by Jenaya Launstein

Digital Category Winner

“Yellow-rumped Warbler Art” by Jeff Rugg

Hand of Man Category Winner

“Great Egret on spillway” by Ron Henderson

Behavior Category Winner

“Grey Heron with fish” by Vladimir Kogan

Action Category Winner

“Siskins Fighting” by David Pattyn

Blurs Category Winner

“Great Blue Heron leg” by Clemens van der Werf

Small Category Winner

“Wagtail and Brown Bear” by Arnfinn Johansen

Flight Category Winner

“Pallid Harrier looking back” by Kiran Poonacha

Tight Category Winner

“King Eider head portrait” by Judd Patterson

Portrait Category Winner

“Jacana chick on Lily-leaf” by Lou Coetzer

62 comments to Grand Prize: You be the Judge

  • Pat Dunnuck

    1. Jacana chick……innocence!
    2 spillway…just because it grabs me!!

  • Arla

    5 – jacana chick

  • 5-Jacana Chick
    4-Pallid Harrier
    3-Leg Blur
    2-Toucan
    1-Heron with Fish

  • Doug Schurman

    Grey Heron with fish – 5
    Jacana chick on Lily-leaf – 4
    Pallid Harrier looking back – 3
    Great Egret on spillway – 2
    Toco Toucan – 1

  • 5 – “Toco Toucan” by Stan Hoyt
    4 – “Wagtail and Brown Bear” by Arnfinn Johansen
    3 – “Great Egret on spillway” by Ron Henderson
    2 – “King Eider head portrait” by Judd Patterson
    1 – “Grey Heron with fish” by Vladimir Kogan

    I really wanted to vote for the Jacana chick since its such a phenomenal photo, however I remember seeing that it won in a previous contest. I decided to cast my votes for other’s this time.

  • Mark A Jordan

    Siskins Fighting: 5
    Jacana Chick on Lily-Leaf: 4
    Great Egret on spillway: 3
    Pallid Harrier looking back:2
    Grey Heron with fish:1

  • Natures Haven

    5 – Grey Heron with fish

    4 – Jacona Chick on Lily Leaf

    3 – Pallid Harrier looking back

    2 – Merlin on fence post

    1 – Yellow rumped warbler art

  • Great Blue Heron Leg: 5
    Grey Heron with Fish: 4
    Pallid Harrier Looking Back: 3
    Jacana Chick on Lily Leaf: 2
    King Eider Head Portrait: 1

  • 5 Toucan
    4 Eider
    3 Harrier
    2 Heron
    1 Siskins

  • Ted Willcox

    #5 Wagtail and Brown Bear
    #4 Siskins Fighting
    #3 Pallid Harrier Looking Back
    #2 Grey Heron With Fish
    #1 Jacana Chick on Lily-Leaf

  • Fernando Cerra

    5 – Jacana Chick on Lily-Leaf
    4 – Toca Tucan
    3 – Siskins Fighting
    2 – Wagtail and Brown Bear
    1 – Yellow rumped Warbler

  • Jeff

    I have to go with the action shots as my favorites.
    Siskins Fighting: 5
    Pallid Harrier: 4
    Wagtail and Brown Bear: 3
    Grey Heron with Fish: 2
    Merlin on fence post: 1

    The Pine Siskins picture has two birds for the price of one. It reminds me of a classic Audubon painting where he painted birds in a variety of poses to show the top, bottom and every side of a bird.

    The Pallid Harrier shows what we don’t often notice, that birds look around when they are flying.

    The Wagtail is small in the frame, just like it should be in this category, but what a great offsetting presence to add a massive bear in the frame.

  • Garry Gibson

    5. Jacana Chick ln Lilly
    4. Toco Tucan
    3. Siskins Fighting
    2. Gray Heron with Fish
    1. Great Egret on Spillway

  • 5 – Wagtail and Brown Bear
    4 – Gray Heron w/Fish
    3 – Siskins Fighting
    2 – Jacana Chick on Lily Leaf
    1 – Pallid Harrier

  • jacana chick on lily leaf: 5
    yellow-rumped warbler art: 4
    grey heron with fish: 3
    pallid harrier looking back: 2
    siskins fighting: 1

    All the photos in the contest are amazing but the Jacana Chick on Lily Leaf has such tremendous emotional impact, IMHO!

    Artie, thanks for sharing all this with us.

  • Don McNally

    Jacana chich on Lily-leaf: 5
    Grey Heron with fish: 4
    Wagtail and Brown Bear: 3
    Siskins Fighting: 2
    Merlin on fence post: 1

  • Geoff

    5- Pallid Harrier
    4 – Jacana Chick
    3 – Siskins
    2 – Wagtail
    1 – King Eider

    Basically impossible to choose between all of these but here is my list. Probably will change my mind next hour!!

  • Billie Snell

    5-Jacana chick
    4-Toco Toucan
    3-Great Egret on spillway
    2-King Eider head portrait
    1-Pallid Harrier looking back

    Hard to pick out best!!!

  • 5 – Siskins Fighting
    4 – Jacana Chick
    3 – Toco Toucan
    2 – Yellow-rumped Warbler Art
    1 – Great Blue Heron Leg

    Wonderful work…

  • 5 “Jacana chick on Lily leaf”

    4 “Siskins Fighting”

    3 “Wagtail and Brown Bear

    2 “Toco Toucan”

    1 “Yellow-rumped Warbler Art”

  • David Policansky

    Hi, Artie, and thanks again. It’s been a great learning experience, and a lot of fun. Thaks to you, Denise, Peter, and all the judges for all your labors. From my memory, there were some second- and third-place finishers in some categories that I would have placed above some of these, but among these, here are my choices:

    5. Jacana chick
    4. Grey heron with fish
    3. Great egret on spillway
    2. Too toucan
    1. King eider head.

  • Alan Lillich

    Toco Toucan: 5
    Jacana chick on Lily-leaf: 4
    Wagtail and Brown Bear: 3
    Pallid Harrier looking back: 2
    Great Blue Heron leg: 1

  • Deirdre Sheerr-Gross

    Jacana Chick on Lily-Leaf: 5
    Grey Heron w/ fish: 4
    Pallid Harrier Looking Back: 3
    Wagtail and Brown Bear: 2
    Toco Toucan: 1

    Whew… Not an easy task…
    Many thanks for not only holding this incredible Competition,
    but the follow-up structure of asking us what we thought…
    What an education we have gotten.

  • Paul A Thomas

    Jacana chick: 5
    Grey Heron with fish: 4
    Great Egret on spillway: 3
    Pallid Harrier: 2
    Toco Toucan: 1

  • Brooke

    Siskins Fighting: 5
    Jacana Chick: 4
    Pallid Harrier: 3
    Great Egret on Spillway: 2
    Wagtail and Brown Bear: 1

  • Greg Payne

    Jacana chick: 5
    Toucan: 4
    Grey heron with fish: 3
    Warbler art: 2
    Siskins fighting: 1

  • Pat Fishburne

    Art:

    I’ve enjoyed seeing all the wonderful images in your competition!I’m not sure if the public vote is going to match the judge’s vote — so far, the public votes are all over the map!

    1 Toca Toucan
    2 Siskins Fighting
    3 Jacara Chick on Lily Leaf
    4 Grey Heron with Fish
    5 Wagtail and Brown Bear

  • Pam Scott

    5: Siskins Fighting
    4: Jacana chick on lily leaf
    3: Grey Heron with fish
    2: Pallid Harrier looking back
    1: Wagtail and Brown Bear

  • 5. Pallic Harrier
    4. Jacanda
    3. Warbler Art
    4. Leg
    5. Toucan

  • Jim Longworth

    5 Jacana Chick on Lily
    4 Pallid Harrier Looking Back
    3 Merlin on fence post
    2 Toco Toucan
    1 Grey Heron with Fish

  • Jay

    This is tough:

    5 Jacana chick on lily leaf
    4 Great blue heron
    3 Siskins fighting
    2 Grey heron with fish
    1 Yellow rumped warbler art

    Can I go back and vote again with a different line-up?

  • Doug

    Siskins Fighting: 5
    Grey Heron with fish: 4
    Yellow-rumped Warbler Art: 3
    Wagtail and Brown Bear: 2
    Toco Toucan: 1

    What an inspiration this has been, so many fantastic images.
    Many thanks to Artie and crew for organizing and judging the competition.
    A special thanks to everyone that submitted images and made this process a terrific learning, and a simply wonderful viewing, experience.

  • taylor maxwell

    Thank you for the pleasure these images have brought to me and so many others

  • Hossam Sadek

    5 Jacana chick on Lily-leaf
    4 Grey Heron with fish
    3 Siskins Fighting
    2 Pallid Harrier
    1 Great Blue Heron Leg

  • 1.- Wagtail and Brown Bear
    2. – Jacana Chick on Lily Leaf
    3. – Grey Heron with Fish
    4. – Merlin on Fence
    5. – Yellow Rumped Warblers

  • Bill Mc - Singapore

    5 Jacana chick on Lily-leaf
    4 Grey Heron with fish
    3 Yellow-rumped Warbler Art
    2 Siskins Fighting
    1 Merlin on fence post

    Excellent work everyone!

  • Bernhard Doerner

    5- Jacana Chick on Lily
    4- Pallid Harrier
    3- Great Egret on Spillway
    2- Wagtail & Bear
    1- Toca Tucan

  • Jennie Stock

    Grey heron with fish: 5
    Siskins fighting: 4
    Merlin on fence: 3
    Great blue heron leg: 2
    Wagtail & bear: 1

  • Sarah Mayhew

    5 Jacana Chick on Lily
    4 Great Egret on Spillway
    3 Siskins Fighting
    2 Gray Heron with Fish
    1 Pallid Harrier Looking Back

  • Renato Fernandez

    Siskins fighting – 5
    Pallid harrier looking – 4
    jacana chick – 3
    grey heron with fish – 2
    toco toucan – 1

    Greetings from Guatemala!

  • Renato Fernandez

    Siskins fighting – 5
    Pallid harrier looking – 4
    jacana chick – 3
    grey heron with fish – 2
    toco toucan – 1

    Greetings from Guatemala!

  • Ed Celnicker

    5. Jacana Chick on Lily.
    4.Siskins fighting
    3. Pallid Harrier
    2. Wagtail
    1. Heron’s leg

  • Col Seller

    Grey Heron with fish: 5
    Jacana chick on Lily-leaf: 4
    Wagtail and Brown Bear: 3
    Yellow-rumped Warbler Art: 2
    King Eider head portrait: 1

    The “Wagtail and Brown Bear” would have been my top pick had the competition not been specifically designated as a BIRD Photography Competition. I must say that I was surprised how much pleasure I gained from interacting in this judging procedure. Being exposed to the various styles in each category was both enlightening and inspirational. Congratulations to all concerned and I’ll look forward to next years competition.

    • Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

      Thanks for your very kind words. We strive to educate folks. 🙂 Please remember to use our B&H links for all of your electronic and photography purchases so that I do not have to get a position as a WalMart greeter!

  • Marvin Falk

    Wagtail 5

    Jacana chick 4

    Pallid Harrier 3

    Great Blue Heron leg 2

    Toca Tucan 1

  • ALL FANTASTIC, but these are the ones that just “pop out” for me…
    5. Palid Harrier Looking Back
    4. Jacana Chick on Lily
    3. Wagtail and Brown Bear
    2. Great Blue Heron Leg
    1. Siskins Fighting
    Good luck to all!!!

  • These are all amazing shots…

    5- Jacana Chick for sure the best.
    4 – Toca Tucan amazing.
    3 – King Eider
    2 – Siskins Fighting
    1 – Great Egret on Spillway

    Thanks for a great contest Arty, good job and great showcase for some amazing talent.

  • Marr Miller

    5-Jacana chick on Lily-leaf
    4-Gray Heron with fish
    3-Merlin
    2-Wagtail
    1-Palid Harrier

  • L. Heider

    Toco Toucan:5
    Siskins fighting:4
    Great Blue Heron Leg:3
    Wagtail and Brown Bear:2
    Yellow-rumped Warblers:1

    Very hard to choose. Thanks for running the contest and to all who submitted and judged. This was a lot of fun to follow!

  • Andrea Boyle

    OMG- I hate to go first… They are all great photos!! What a photographer’s dream to get this far in the contest. YOU ARE ALL AWESOME!

    5- Jacana Chick on Lily (I get the dangerous/vulnerable aspect of the photo. Perfect sharpening & composition. Splendid! )
    4- Toca Tucan (love the colors, detail & composition)
    3- Wagtail & Bear (again the danger/vulnerability aspect. Bear “emotion” was nailed. Great sharpening on the details.)
    2.) Merlin on fence (Wow, great composition & sharp detail)
    1.) Great Egret on Spillway (My personal favorite in composition. It lacked the sharpness I needed to place it higher. A great photo nonetheless!)

  • Siskins Fighting – 5
    Wagtail and Brown Bear – 4
    Jacana Chick on Lily-Leaf – 3
    Grey Heron with Fish – 2
    King Eider Head Portrait – 1