Check out the winner of CBC Windsor's migratory bird photo contest
Birders of Windsor and Essex County, you showed up with some of your most beautiful shots for CBC Windsor's first migratory bird photo contest.
With more than 100 entries, CBC video producer and resident bird photographer — or "bird nerd" — Michael Evans had his work cut out for him choosing a winner. Our team was blown away by the variety and skill of the photographs submitted, taken across Windsor and Essex County.
Justine Labonte's stunning photo of a prairie warbler is the winner of CBC Windsor's migratory bird contest. Judge Michael Evans says it's a winner both for its beautiful composition as well as its rarity — a bucket-list bird of sorts, it's one Evans says he's never seen in person. (Submitted by Justine Labonte)
But one photo in particular stood out: Winner Justine Labonte's stunning photo of a prairie warbler, taken on May 3, 2024.
"It looks like the bird is posing for the photographer. The shot is completely in focus as evidenced by the sharp eye of the bird," Evans said of Labonte's photo.
"I would give just about anything to see this bird and capture a photograph like this one."
It's a bird Evans says he's never seen. He says it's a "lifer" for many in the birding community, including Labonte, when she spotted it at the northwest end of Point Pelee National Park near sunset. She has been birding since 2019.
WATCH: Check out some of the photos in CBC Windsor's migratory bird photo contest
"I was just walking along the beach and there was just one little bird down low. So I started taking pictures of it and I zoom in and I thought, 'no way is that the prairie?'" Labonte told Evans.
"So I called a bunch of people over and they were so excited, too, to see this bird. It was a lifer for many, many people there and I was so excited to find it."
While Labonte's photo stood above the rest, we couldn't pick just one. Here is a gallery of honourable mentions, with commentary from Evans on what makes each photo unique and beautiful.
Judge Michael Evans picked this as one of the top photos in this year's migratory bird photo contest because of the number of birds in the photo: "The photographer has managed to capture three Red-headed woodpeckers in the same frame. I’ve been lucky to see red-headed woodpeckers before, but never two, or in this case three in the same frame. " This photogaph by Dennis Bellemare was taken May 2024 at Point Pelee. (Submitted by Dennis Bellemare)
This "epic" shot of an Osprey taken by Pierre Monette in Amherstburg was a favourite of contest judge Michael Evans. He says: "This photo really shows the majesty and size of the osprey. The photograph is so sharp!" (Submitted by Pierre Monette)
This photo of a battle between a bluebird and a tree swallow also earned an honourable mention. Judge Michael Evans says: "These two species compete for habitat and you will often see them attacking one another." This photograph was taken by Fred Adair at Ojibway Park on April 15, 2024. (Submitted by Fred Adair)
This photograph of an Eastern bluebird taken by Fred Adair is one of the runners-up in the CBC Windsor migratory bird photo contest. Judge Michael Evans says he loves how clearly you can see that the bird has a grasshopper in its mouth. (Submitted by Fred Adair)
This photo of a black and white warbler, also by photographer Justine Labonte, earned an honourable mention. Evans says he loves the birds "because they are one of nature's acrobats. Just look how it is standing on this tree trunk." (Submitted by Justine Labonte)
This bird is called a common yellowthroat — but in judge Michael Evans' experience, is not all that common. This photo was taken by Don Adams at Hillman Marsh. That, and the composition of this photograph, earn it an honourable mention in this year's CBC Windsor migratory bird photo contest (Submitted by Don Adams)
