The National Audubon Society annually rewards excellence in nature photography; the 2020 winners offer a stunning array of aviary photographs that continue to amaze with their vivid colors and curious behaviors.
Joanna Lentini’s Grand Prize-winning image of a double-crested cormorant is a stunner, revealing the beautiful synchronicity of nature underwater. She explained to the Audubon society how she was able to capture the moment with her Canon EOS 7D Mark II:
I’ve spent many hours underwater at this California sea lion rookery in the Bay of La Paz, but I had never before encountered diving cormorants there. Shifting my focus from the playful sea lions, I watched in awe as the cormorants plunged beak-first into the sea to snap at the sardines swimming by. Although I spent a long time admiring these birds, I didn’t see a single one catch a fish. Adding insult to injury, curious sea lion pups would zip by the hunting birds and nip at them from behind.
Enjoy images by other winners from this year’s contest.
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