We all know nothing compares to seeing birds in motion, so this 12 months we expanded the Audubon Images Awards to incorporate a brand new video class. If you happen to haven’t already, try the beautiful profitable footage of a Crimson-Tailed Hawk hovering in midair whereas scanning for mice and floor squirrels within the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Our judges have been additionally taken with the runner-up: A Nice Grey Owl stoically braving a snowstorm in Minnesota.
With a whole lot of movies entered within the contest, there was a mess of extraordinary avian footage from which we chosen 10 extra movies to share. From beautiful Cedar Waxwings visiting a yard “chook spa” to Acorn Woodpeckers fiercely defending their territory, these clips seize vivid and intimate moments that present birds in all their magnificence and energy. As with the award winners and Prime 100 photographs, our crew labored in shut collaboration with the videographers to make sure that the intent and essence of every photograph was integrated into vibrant different textual content with a view to make the awards accessible to the biggest viewers potential.
And for those who’re impressed to choose up a digicam and pursue avian topics of your personal, our pictures part has every little thing it’s essential to get began, together with suggestions and how-to’s and Audubon’s moral tips for wildlife pictures. Then get on the market and begin recording your favourite winged topics.
1. American Dipper by Kyle Dudgeon
Video Transcript
An American Dipper bobs out and in of the rapids, its grey physique disappearing solely under the rippling water’s floor. Every time it comes up, it snaps its invoice closed because it eats the bugs it captured.
Video: Kyle Dudgeon/Audubon Images Awards
Class: Novice
Location: Bozeman, MT
Digital camera: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens; 1/250 second at f/5.6; ISO 1600
Story Behind the Shot: Burying myself and my digicam gear alongside the snow-covered banks of Hyalite Creek rapidly turned one in every of my favourite winter actions this previous 12 months. Over the course of a month, I used to be capable of finding a couple of completely different American Dipper territories and doc the birds as they foraged throughout Montana’s harshest season. This particular person spent a number of minutes within the water simply past the minimal focusing necessities for my lens, permitting me to seize it up shut because it dove beneath the water, its entire physique submerged because it hunted for invertebrates.
2. Tufted Titmouse by Carol Doeringer
Video Transcript
A Tufted Titmouse investigates a tree cavity inhabited by a raccoon that seems to be sleeping. The little grey chook makes an attempt to pluck some fur from the mammal, which turns and swats on the titmouse, scaring it off.
Video: Carol Doeringer/Audubon Images Awards
Class: Novice
Location: Allegan, MI
Digital camera: Nikon Coolpix P1000; 1/30 second at f/8; ISO 200
Behind the Shot: A raccoon snoozed day by day in a tree cavity behind my home. I had an awesome view of the animal, as did a Tufted Titmouse. The chook gamely plucked the racoon’s fur, presumably to make use of as nesting materials, returning many times for 3 days. The slumbering raccoon appeared oblivious to the hair-snatching. Then one afternoon the titmouse arrived simply after I’d seen the raccoon get up and begin grooming. I began filming and certain sufficient, the raccoon stirred and swatted on the songbird. I ended filming after the raccoon’s icy stare despatched the titmouse flying, however a couple of minutes later, it returned to filch extra fur.
3. Nice Blue Heron by Michael Brooks
Video Transcript
A Nice Blue Heron walks close to the sting of a small pond within the late afternoon, its toes submerged in water surrounded by grasses. In a fast motion, the heron thrusts its invoice into the water and brings up two silver wriggling fish.
Video: Michael Brooks/Audubon Images Awards
Class: Novice
Location: Durham, NC
Digital camera: Canon EOS M3 with a Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 lens; 1/30 second at f/8; ISO auto
Behind the Shot: There’s a small pond in my neighborhood the place Nice Blue Herons like to fish. Late one afternoon in early spring, I watched for greater than an hour as one of many waders patrolled the water’s edge, sometimes operating off to push back opponents however not catching any fish regardless of a number of makes an attempt. The sunshine was fading quick once I lastly noticed the heron’s consideration repair on one thing within the shallow water close to me. I watched immobile for a number of minutes because it slowly and thoroughly moved ahead. Lastly it plunged its invoice into the water and introduced up not one however two wriggling fish. One fish managed to flee and flop its method again into the water. The opposite was supper.
4. Acorn Woodpeckers by Isabelle Reddy
Video Transcript
A number of agitated Acorn Woodpeckers divebomb a squirrel climbing a tree trunk. The beautiful black-and-white birds with purple crests name loudly as they swoosh down and peck on the squirrel many times till the outmatched squirrel offers up and runs down the trunk.
Video: Isabelle Reddy/Audubon Images Awards
Class: Novice
Location: Marilyn Murphy Kane Path in Pleasanton, CA
Digital camera: Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR lens; 1/250 second at f/5.4; ISO 400
Story Behind the Shot: I used to be strolling on a path once I heard a number of Acorn Woodpeckers calling angrily behind me. I rotated as a result of the noise appeared loud and insistent, even for Acorn Woodpeckers. No less than 5 of them have been attacking a squirrel climbing a tree. I instantly began filming because the birds dove towards the squirrel. They have been organized of their assault, diving one after the opposite, relentless and daring, their cooperative abilities clearly at work after they chased this intruder away. After the commotion, all was quiet. A number of the birds perched on branches, and two of them inspected a cavity within the tree at size, its contents unknown, however clearly value defending.
5. Sandhill Crane by Sonja Pedersen
Video Transcript
Recorded in slow-motion, a Sandhill Crane blinks its proper eye. The chook’s stunning red-capped head is cocked, its black invoice partially open. With every blink, a fragile blood vessel-filled clear membrane sweeps from entrance to again, and retracts, once more revealing the crane’s orange eye.
Video: Sonja Pedersen/Audubon Images Awards
Class: Novice
Location: Lake Dan Protect, Odessa, FL
Digital camera: Sony DSC-RX10M4 with a Sony 24-600mm f/2.4-4 lens; 1/250 second at f/4; ISO auto
Story Behind the Shot: I spent most of 2020 filming and photographing this household of Sandhill Cranes. Generally we roamed the open pastures collectively whereas they foraged or the mother and father taught their colts to bop and fly. Different days I sat quietly whereas they preened, respecting their area. I had been engaged on perfecting my slow-motion filming methods once I captured this grownup turning and cocking its head, wanting as much as the sky as if one thing have been flying overhead. Its beak was barely open because of the scorching climate. After I reviewed the movie, I used to be astonished by the gradual movement of the attention blinking and the fragile, skinny blood vessel-filled membrane of the inside eyelid—exceptional particulars not readily seen to my bare eye.
6. Sandhill Cranes by Sonja Pedersen
Video Transcript
An grownup Sandhill Crane slowly raises its hanging red-capped head and lengthy grey neck out of the knee excessive vibrant inexperienced grasses. A second later a fluffy, orange-billed colt raises its head, wanting in the identical path as its guardian.
Video: Sonja Pedersen/Audubon Images Awards
Class: Novice
Location : Lake Dan Protect in Odessa, FL
Digital camera: Sony DSC-RX10M4 with a Sony 24-600mm f/2.4-4 lens; 1/250 second at f/4; ISO auto
Story Behind the Shot: Having a 3,000-acre protect proper out my door had its benefits throughout a pandemic. Each afternoon I might hike to the cypress swamp the place a household of Sandhill Cranes resided. The grownup cranes constructed their nest in February 2020 and two lovely colts hatched in early March. By April, the fuzzy, feathered colts have been knee excessive. The household would forage via the swamp on its method again to the nest every night, clearly conscious of their environment and the resident 12-foot gator close by. I had been experimenting with the slow-motion functionality of my digicam once I targeted on one of many mother and father and a colt as each raised their heads out of the grasses virtually in unison.
7. Crimson-bellied Woodpecker by Jeff Buss
Video Transcript
Within the cavity of a cracked snag, a Crimson-bellied Woodpecker emerges with a invoice stuffed with woodchips. He shakes his red-capped head backward and forward, releasing the shavings, which scatter into the wind because the chook watches them fall to the bottom.
Video: Jeff Buss/Audubon Images Awards
Class: Skilled
Location: Korth Park, Lake Mills, WI
Digital camera: Sony PXW-FS5 XDCAM with a Tamron 200-400mm f/5.6 lens; 1/240 second at f/8; ISO 2000
Story Behind the Shot: With the pandemic curbing business video manufacturing for many of 2020, I made a decision to make use of my downtime filming wildlife. A pal talked about that he’d noticed a Crimson-bellied Woodpecker at his native park engaged on a nest in a snag. I headed out the following day and noticed the chook seem together with its potential mate. He offered the would-be nest for inspection, and it appeared to cross muster. He bought proper to work making the cavity a house, excavating bits of wooden and depositing them outdoors with a vigorous shake of his head.
8. Black Vulture and Crested Caracara by John Gates
Video Transcript
A juvenile Crested Caracara on a tree department slowly bows its head to an grownup Black Vulture. As different birds name within the background, the vulture begins grooming the caracara’s head and neck, grooming it so vigorously that at one level the caracara is compelled to choose up a foot to keep up its steadiness.
John Gates/Audubon Images Awards
Class: Novice
Location: La Joya, TX
Digital camera: Nikon CoolPix P1000; 1/60 second at f/2.8; ISO auto
Story Behind the Shot: From my kayak I noticed a juvenile Crested Caracara on the prime of a tree the place 20 Black Vultures sunned. The caracara bought nearer and nearer to one of many vultures. When the 2 have been aspect by aspect, the caracara put its head down, seemingly bowing in greeting. It was prefer it was exhibiting up for a grooming appointment: The vulture hopped towards the caracara and commenced grooming the feathers on the customer’s head. The conduct was novel sufficient, to me, that I ended taking pictures images and commenced taking pictures video.
9. Wooden Geese by Teri Franzen
Video Transcript
As birdsong fills the air, a Wooden Duck hen preens on a log in a pond, her 4 fluffy yellow and grey ducklings round her. One duckling slips into the water and will get again on the log various occasions earlier than it settles subsequent to its mom once more.
Video: Teri Franzen/Audubon Images Awards
Class: Novice
Location: Brick Pond Wetland Protect, Owego, NY
Digital camera: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with a Canon EF 500mm f/4 IS II and Canon Extender EF 2X III; 1/50 second at f/8; ISO 100
Story Behind the Shot: One wet spring morning, peering via a low portal from a everlasting blind, I noticed a Wooden Duck hen resting on a log simply seen over vegetation. Peering nearer, I seen a number of tiny ducklings squirming beneath her wings. Ducklings don’t sit nonetheless for very lengthy, and as they turned extra energetic, I started to movie. On this clip, one of many ducklings slipped and climbed again up onto the log, solely to slide proper again down. The remainder of the household appeared oblivious to its struggles and my coronary heart leapt into my throat as I watched. The persistent duckling fell two extra occasions earlier than lastly gaining buy and returning safely again to its household.
10. Cedar Waxwings by Bob Schamerhorn
Video Transcript
A flock of Cedar Waxwings collect round a puddle, whistling and trilling. They dip their heads, which function a slender black masks outlined in white, out and in at alternating intervals. A number of of the birds fly away and new birds substitute them, their yellow-tipped tails bobbing as they drink.
Video: Bob Schamerhorn/Audubon Images Awards
Class: Skilled
Location: Henrico County, VA
Digital camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III with a Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM lens; 1/48 second at f/18; ISO 3200
Story Behind the Shot: A number of occasions over a few days, a large flock of Cedar Waxwings visited this little puddle in our suburban yard, which we affectionately named the “chook spa.” I made a decision that in the event that they confirmed up once more, I might attempt to shoot somewhat video. By merely mendacity on the bottom, with no blind and nothing however a seashore towel over my head, a bunch got here in for a drink. As soon as the primary few waxwings arrived to quench their thirst, it appeared nothing would cease the remainder of the flock from becoming a member of them. They got here and went, making a frenzy of exercise.