Fremont Photo Wins National Audubon Society Award

FREMONT, CA — A photo of a northern harrier, taken at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont, won the Female Bird Prize in the 2021 Audubon Photography Awards.

Elizabeth Yicheng Shen took the photo, which was one of just eight winners out of 2,500 entries submitted for this year’s contest. This year was the first in which the Female Bird Prize was awarded; it was created to draw attention to underappreciated female birds.

Shen was awarded $1,000 for winning the category.

Audubon said all winners showed birds at their “most tranquil, clever, and powerful.”

Shen captured the northern harrier while trying to photograph a different bird. "I was waiting for Fernando the Chilean flamingo to wake up from his afternoon nap," she told the National Audubon Society.

"People have reported seeing the lone flamingo in the park since 2010, so I went out to photograph him," she said. "A commotion from the nearby water, where a great blue heron stalked prey and a few gulls rested, attracted my attention. A northern harrier had come out of nowhere to hunt. I quickly adjusted my camera settings so I could get her owl-like face. This kind of unexpected encounter is why I always carry my camera when I venture into nature."

Shen took her photo with a Sony a9 camera with a Sony 400 mm f-2.8 GM FE OSS lens and 2x teleconverter. The settings were 1/2,000 second at f-5.6, ISO 1600.

The grand prize winner received $5,000. The top amateur, professional, video and plants for birds winners each received $2,500. The Fisher Prize came with a $1,000 prize.

The 2022 contest is likely to begin accepting entries in January.

Audubon published the winning photos in its summer 2021 issue, which members can receive.

See all of the winners at 2021 Audubon Photography Awards

Do you love birds? Take this tip from your Patch editor — join the Nor Cal Birding Facebook group to fill your feed with beautiful photos of birds. You will be amazed!

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