The Audubon Society received 9,000 entires for their annual photography contest and chose nine winners, including Mary Angela Luzader’s Fine Art Honorable Mention for her shot of fighting Purple Gallinules, above.
She took her shot at Venetian Gardens, a public park in Leesburg, Florida:
Venetian Gardens is a wonderful place to photograph Purple Gallinules in a natural, parklike habitat. Someone called my attention to this pair chasing and fighting each other. I have never witnessed this behavior, and I was so excited I almost forgot to snap a few shots! When the fight was over, the victor got the girl, and the loser was chased away, with a few less feathers . . . and perhaps a headache!
The Top 100 is well worth the time if you admire birds and or beautiful photography.
• Announcing the 2015 Audubon Photography Awards (audubon.org)
• 2015 Top 100 photos (audubon.org)