Winner: Eastern Great Egret - Karen Emery (Image #18715).

A striking image of an Eastern Great Egret with its dinner, executed sharply against a clean background. Perfect composition. The vignetting has maximised attention on the bird and the fish. However, if anything, I would reduce it slightly to create a more natural effect.

The photographer has also done an excellent job retaining detail in the white feathers, which is not easy.

Highly Commended: Red-capped Robin - Anne Burgess (Image#18546).

This is a lovely portrait of a red-capped robin. There is a good 'feel' to the image, with a soft background and foliage that compliments rather than detracts from the bird. The bird itself has a nice, relaxed pose and is engaging with the photographer by a slight twist of its head. The light is soft. The nice catch-light in the eye is a great finishing touch. Excellent job.

Commended: Australian Owlet-Nightjar - Karen Emery (Image #18713).

Fantastic image of a hard to see bird in a natural setting. There is good detail in the bird and (I assume) artificial lighting has been used effectively to create a pleasing image with a sense of depth.

Commended: Bush Stone-curlew - Adam Higgins (Image #18343).

This image stands out as a great example of an amazing bird in a human environment. The photographer did well getting down to the eye level of the bird. The eye is sharp and draws the viewer into the scene. The image is bright with soft background pastels that add, rather than detract from it. Itfeels like it should be in a lifestyle magazine.

Commended: Black-shouldered Kite - Gerard Corkeron (Image #18694)

A good portrait of a black-shouldered kite with a relatively neutral background. The bird is not too far above the photographer (ie. almost at eye level), is evenly lit and has a nice catch-light in the eye - all of which contribute to the positive aesthetic feel of the image. I would crop part of the right hand side of the image and place more space in front of the bird (placing a bird in one third of the image tends to result in a more pleasing composition). I would also lighten the image, as parts of it appear a bit dark (though that may just be an issue with my monitor calibration).