Free Bird Photo Contest 2013

In conjunction with National Bird Day 2013, we hatched our second annual Free Bird Photo Contest! We were very excited to partner with Outset Media, which provided as first- through fifth-place prizes the board game "What Bird Am I?" The six-week competition was open to all and attracted some 200 entries.

(Check out last year's winners.)

The winning photo of house sparrows was taken by Jenn Fraleigh of Forked River, NJ. Fraleigh will receive a a bird feeder and organic T-shirt from the Born Free USA online store, a copy of the board game "What Bird Am I?" and other prizes.

Winning Photo

House sparrows

Final Results:

FIRST PLACE: House sparrows by Jenn Fraleigh of Forked River, NJ
SECOND PLACE: Eastern bluebirds by Audrey Thompson of Nashville, TN
THIRD PLACE: Cooper's hawk by Doris Potter of St-Laurent, Quebec, Canada
FOURTH PLACE: Tufted titmouse by Douglas Coughran of Padbury, Western Australia
FIFTH PLACE: Mourning doves by Rita Walters of Taftville, CT

Here's what Fraleigh had to say about her winning photograph:

"This picture was taken Christmas day 2012 with my Nikon p510. My family and I went to our local zoo in Ocean County, NJ. It's a beautiful place because it is actually run by the local ASPCA and is home to animals who should have never been kept in people's homes. So we often like to go there and know that these (once-suffering) animals are being taken care of.

"It can't have been more than 30 degrees out that day and we were bundled up very tight. But there near the entrance at the fountain was this flock of common house sparrows bathing like they didn't have a care in the world. I remember being amazed that they could stand the frigid water when I could barely stand to move!

"In this shot the subject that holds their attention is my young son walking around the side of the fountain but out of frame. Their little bodies were caught in the act of fluttering, yet their attention is elsewhere. And the red reflected in the water is from my parents' jackets. I love how beautiful this everyday moment became.

"I had only had this camera for weeks when I took this so I spent a good while just sitting on the park bench enjoying these little cuties through my lens. It was great practice of birds in motion and I couldn't be happier with the frozen water droplets in time around them."

The Finalists' Photos

Eastern bluebirds	Cooper's hawk
Tufted titmouse	Mourning doves

The Runners-Up:

Splendid fairy-wren by Douglas Coughran of Western Australia
Short-eared owl by Thomas James Tetzner of Charlestown, RI
Cinnamon teal by Ann Bormann of Redmond, WA
Cardinal by Doris Potter of Quebec, Canada
Trumpeter swans by Ann Bormann of Redmond, WA
Barred owl by Thomas James Tetzner of Charlestown, RI
Crested peacock by Nicola Horesovska of Jupiter, FL
Ring-billed gull by Lisa Stinnett of Lenoir City, TN
House sparrow by Andrew Merriweather of New York, NY
Least bittern by Doris Potter of Quebec, Canada
Calliope hummingbird by Tony Attanasio of Pinetop, AZ
Osprey by Patsy Russo of Mobile, AL
Great blue heron by Angela Spishock of Greenwood, DE
Ring-billed gull by Mary Muller Coerver of Walton Beach, FL

The Runners-Up Photos

Splendid fairy-wren	Short-eared owl
Cinnamon teal	Cardinal
Trumpeter swans	Barred owl
Crested peacock	Ring-billed gull
House sparrow	Least bittern
Calliope hummingbird	Osprey
Great blue heron	Ring-billed gull