Bird Photo Competition 6 2013 : Results

Judges Comment
This image captures an atmospheric sunrise scene as hundreds of cranes fill both foreground and background; in water, land and sky. The fine mist creates a real sense of depth and the wide range of poses provides a rich study of these elegant birds.
Photographers Comment
I took this photo at Hula Lake, in Israel. It was dawn, freezing cold, a crispy winter day. Migratory cranes were awakening from their sleeping location at a shallow marsh, slowly flying out to the main lake. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, truly breathtaking. I captured this moment with a AF-S Nikkor 70-300 mm, which turned out to be the right choice since it was forbidden to get any closer, in order to avoid disturbing the birds. Hula Lake is a nature reserve which sees an average of 500.000 migratory birds transiting every year on their route from Europe to Africa. Laura Chiesa

Judges Comment
Great colors, poses, shapes and interactions as two bee-eaters alight on the same perch.

Judges Comment
This photo conveys the immense size and power of the eagle as it grapples with a fox, its enormous talons buried in the fox's back.
Photographers Comment
Thank for choosing my pic for the mark of excellence. My name is Johnny Krueger and I am an animal photographer from Germany. This Pic was taken in December 2012 in the Limestone Alps in Austria. It was a rainy day with bad lighting so I had to choose the settings ISO 3200, Speed 1/1000, Aperture 2.8 with an Canon EF 300 2.8 and a Canon 1D mark 3 - take care
www.pfotograf.info

Judges Comment
With full air brakes on to slow down for landing, this heron has been frozen in glorious light.

Judges Comment
This image evokes a response due to the owl having the hunched posture and withering stare of an angry human.
Photographers Comment
NIKON D300 + Sigma 70-200/2,8 ISO Speed: 400 Aperture: f/2.8 Exposure: 1/320 Lednice, Czech Republic
www.facebook.com/zelvmade

Judges Comment
The silhouetted cormorants and perches form an elegant pattern that was well observed by the photographer.
Photographers Comment
thank you for the mark of excellence.. my name is Yohanes D.W from Indonesia. i took this photo with Olympus E-5 with 50-200mm.

Judges Comment
Top image quality and a wonderful pose and composition make this a classic bird photograph.

Judges Comment
Great sense of movement created by panning with a slow shutter speed. Keeping the head sharp with this type of shot is much more difficult than it looks.
Photographers Comment
Thanks for another Mark of Excellence. My name is Stefan Betz and I am from Germany. This picture was shot at the Weingartner Moor. Taken with an Canon 1Dx and Ef 600mm lens coupled with a 2x teleconverter. Shot taken with 1/60s. Less post processing, only adjustments in highlights and shadows
www.betz-naturfoto.de

Judges Comment
The icy setting lights up this busy duck scene, which has plenty for the viewer to look at. Did you spot the odd one out?
Photographers Comment
My name is Timothy Horne. I am very honored to have received a "Mark of Excellence" for this photo. I'm living in Marinette, Wisconsin, this picture was taken there too at a local marina. As I pulled up there I was surround by at least 300 to 400 of these Mallard ducks, an amazing site. In some of the shots I had taken there, I was so close to the ducks you could see me and my truck in the pupils of their eyes. I shot this and other photos with a Nikon D3200 using a 18-55mm lens with a ND filter. As for post processing, all I ever do to my photos is cropping and straightening. Thank you again for the honor.
www.facebook.com/ScenicTreasuresPhotography