EspañolIn 2011 we participated for the first time in the Photography Contest of the Toh Bird Festival. Having no expectations, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that we had won the Second Prize and a Honorable Mention in the Specialized Photographers category, as we reported here.
This year we submitted three images for the jury’s consideration, and our photo below, of three Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus), which I made while participating in the Birding 102 Workshop just a few weeks go, was deemed worthy of the First Prize in the Specialized Photographers category. Again this came as a welcome surprise, and just like last year, we travelled to Merida, Yucatán, to be present at the opening and awards ceremony of the Toh Bird Festival 2012.
Our picture of three Black-necked Stilts reflected on water won First Prize! (Photo © Ivan Gabaldon)
My sincere thanks go to the members of the Jury, the festival’s organizing committee, and Pronatura Peninsula de Yucatan, the NGO that has been promoting the Toh Bird Festival since its inception eleven years ago and has directly coordinated its production for the last three years in a row. Thanks also to the Festival’s sponsors!
I would also like to congratulate all participants and winners of the Photography and Drawing contests. Receiving an award is always a welcome pat on the back, but the best reward is taking part in the Yucatan Peninsula’s premier bird festival and interacting with so many people with a common interest in birds. Below, the official list of winners:
The weekend following the opening ceremony kept us very busy, as we participated with a group of fabulous birders in the Festival’s Xoc Chi’ch’ Bird-a-thon, an excellent experience that will be the subject of our next post, coming up shortly.
I.G.H.
