PRIZEWINNERS - Stanford Birding Photographic Competition 2008

We wish to thank all these talented photographers who sent in stunning entries for this year's competition. Photographers were allowed to receive one prize each, considering amateurs were competing against professional photographers.

7 Judges gave votes for each photograph entry. The PRIZEWINNERS are as follows:

1st PRIZE ~ Basie van Zyl – Cape White Eye on Wilddagga

Commendations for Paradise-flycatcher Female in Paradise, My Tern to Sit and White-Faced Duck Launch

2nd PRIZE ~ John Deakin – Sharing Malachites

Commendations for Sunbirds, Cape Robin, Goliath Heron, African Marsh Harrier

3rd PRIZE ~ Kirsten Frost - Cattle Egret 3

Commendations for African Spoonbill, Pied Kingfisher

4th PRIZE ~ Charles Dagnall – African Pygmy Kingfisher “biting off more than he can chew”

5th PRIZE ~ John Macdonald – Acacia Pied Barbet with female Cape Weaver “Voetsek” – Cover of Stanford River Talk.

RUNNERS UP ~ Highly Commended

Brummer Olivier - Grassbird with Skink

Allan Youens - Spotted Dikkop (Thick-Kneed Plover) with chick, Cape Grassbird, Oyster Catchers

I wish to thank the following people for giving of their valuable time to judge the competition:

Royd Frith, Stanford Glendower Bird Fair committee Chairman

Elsa Gebhard, SGBF committee

David Dowie Dunn, SGBF committee

Peter Hood, SGBF committee

Nikki Miles, Stanford Galleries Art Café

Kerri Brokensha, Stanford River Talk

André van der Merwe, Stanford Technology Centre

Lastly, with many thanks and great appreciation of their support, we wish to thank the following sponsors for their generous donation of such fantastic prizes:

First Prize: Shark cage diving experience with Marine Dynamics
Second Prize: Flight of Giants with African Wings
Third Prize: self-catering accommodation at Oak Grove Farm
Fourth Prize: a meal at Stanford Gallery
Fifth Prize: a year’s subscription to Africa Birds & Birding

Runners Up: Raka wine