Annual WildBird Photo Contest 2011
For more than 20 years, WildBird has hosted a photography competition that continually draws incredible images of beautiful birds and provides an array of great prizes for the deserving photographers. The photo contest opens in February when subscribers receive WildBird’s March/April issue and see the current categories.
With five categories and two entries allowed per category, photographers have 10 chances to win prizes. In total, WildBird’s photo contest awards 16 prizes: a grand prize plus a first-, second- and third-place prize for each category.
The photo contest’s rules, prizes and entry form appear in WildBird’s May/June issue, too, and the deadline for entries generally falls in mid-May. The rules and entry form do not appear online, only in the magazine.
When the judges look at each entry, they consider four primary factors, with the first — focus — being the foremost consideration. The bird’s bill and eyes have to appear in tack-sharp focus. Blurriness results in disqualification. The judges also look at action, composition and lighting, but focus remains the most challenging aspect for most participants.
Within this slideshow of the 23nd annual photo contest’s prize-winning images, you can click on i (Info) to remove the caption from view or click on the brackets to revert to full-screen mode. The right arrow will activate the slideshow, or you can roll your mouse over the thumbnails and click on the desired images.
WildBird thanks the generous sponsors who provided prizes for the 2011 photo contest. The current sponsors appear in the March/April issue. Check it out, and send your entries before the mid-May deadline!
The 2011 photo contest lured photographers with these enticing prizes:
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Grand Prize
The Zeiss Victory 8x42 T* FL binocular features Zeiss fluoride glass, patented T* antireflective coatings and phase-corrected Abbe-Koenig prisms for superior viewing. The magnesium-reinforced body comes with rubber armoring and four-position click-stop eyecups, and the waterproof, fogproof lenses feature LotuTec lens coatings. The 8x42 offers a 405-foot field of view at 1000 yards, 16mm eye relief, a 5.25 exit pupil and a 6.5-foot close focus. The 26.6-oz. binocular comes with tethered objective lens covers, a neck strap, a case and the Zeiss limited lifetime transferable warranty.
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Amateur Category Prizes
The first-place winner received a MeoStar 8x42 30-oz. binocular with 411-foot field of view at 1000 yards, and 17mm eye relief. The second-place winner received a MeoPro 8x42; the third-place winner, a MeoPro 6.5x32. www.MeoptaSportsOptics.com
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Backyard Category Prizes
The first-place winner received a Droll Yankee Flipper, which discourages squirrels with its weight-activated, motorized perch ring. The second-place winner received a Droll Yankee Big Top Green feeder; the third-place winner, a 23-inch Droll Yankee Onyx Clever Clean sunflower-mixed seed feeder. www.DrollYankees.com
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Digiscoping Category Prizes
The first-place winner received a water- and fogproof Nikon 50mm Fieldscope ED with eyepiece, which features extra-low dispersion glass. The second-place winner received a Nikon Monarch 8x42 binocular; the third-place winner, a Nikon Monarch 8x36. www.NikonBirding.com
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Flight Category Prizes
The first-place winner received a Steiner Merlin 10x42 binocular with fully multicoated lenses and a 10-year warranty. The second-place winner received a Steiner Merlin 8x42; the third-place winner, a Steiner Merlin 8x32. www.Steiner-Birding.com
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Shorebirds Category Prizes
The first-place winner received a Minox HG 8.5x43 binocular with High Grade optics with M* full multi-coatings. The second-place winner received a Minox BL Comfort Bridge 8x44 binocular; the third-place winner, a Minox BV 8x42 BR binocular. www.Minox.com
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