Winners of Stanford Birding Photographic Competition 2009

A great big thank you to all of you who sent in your stunning birding photographic entries into this year's Stanford Birding Photographic Competition.

The standard of entries was very high and it was with great pleasure we could announce the winners at the Stanford Glendower Bird Fair whiskey tasting function.

As the Stanford Birding Photographic Competition creator, head judge, and co-owner with Bruce Castle, of http://www.stanfordbirding.co.za/ it is important that I ensure all entrants are aware that bird photos submitted for the competition are subject to the following rules, terms and conditions:

You keep copyright on all your images.

By submitting an image to the Stanford Birding Photographic Competition, you only grant rights for the image to be displayed on this blog and the associated Google, Picasa and marketing websites affiliated with the main website http://www.stanfordbirding.co.za/ in perpetuity, and to be reproduced directly for promotion of the Stanford Birding Photographic Competition and the associated Stanford Glendower Bird Fair and/or Stanford/Overberg Nature Festival, as it may in future be named. Usage outside of these contexts will require your permission, and rights to your images will not be sold without your permission. The Stanford Birding Photographic Competition is a volunteer-run awareness initiative, not a profit-making concern.

The judging of the competition, with both professionals and amateur entrants, provided much debate. I wish to thank both Dave de Beer and Anton Odendaal for their invaluable contributions to the judging process.

Fabulous prizes were on offer and I wish to once again thank the following kind contributos:

1st prize: 1/2 hour flight for 2 with African Wings
2nd prize: pet friendly 3 star self catering accommodation for 5 guests at Oak Grove Farm
3rd prize: ultimate whale watching for 2 with Dyer Island Cruises
4th prize: guided walk through Platbos Africa's southernmost indigenous forest
5th prize: lunch for 2 at Stanford Art Cafe
6th prize: boat trip on Klein River with River Rat Boat Cruises
7th prize: 2 hour horse ride with African Horse Company

8th prize: 1 year subscription to Africa Birds and Birding
9th prize: breakfast for 2 at Madrés Country Kitchen & Grocer

Prizes awarded are as follows:

1st prize:

Basie van Zyl with his captivating Little Egret feeding

2nd Prize:

Mitchell Krog with his Juvenile Bearded Vulture3rd Prize:

John Davey with his Arrow Marked Babbler

4th Prize:

Mike Graham with his Ground Scraper Thrush

5th prize:

Don MacIver with his Sociable Weaver

6th prize:

Steven Swart with his Weaver Dive

7th prize:

Brummer Olivier with his photo entitled "Flower Marching" of a femaile Cape Sugarbird
8th prize:

Isobel de Gruchy with her Malachite Sunbird on Pink Flower 9th prize:
Valda Finch with her Blue Cranes with Guineafowl and John Finch with his Red Knobbed Coot