Winner: Eastern Yellow Robin - Glenn Pure (Image #19270).

This image of a juvenile Eastern Yellow Robin is exquisite. The bird’s concentration is apparent and the way the feathers of the head and neck are raised adds an element of interest not always seen in robin images.

I’d recommend cropping the left-hand side as that space doesn’t add anything to the image and the crop would give the leading line of the perch more impact.

Highly Commended: Eastern Spinebill - Kathy Zonnevylle (Image#19336).

This striking image has immediate impact. The bird is sharp with a catch-light in its eye and its long bill completely hidden as it takes nectar from the flower. The diffused, uncluttered background makes the bird and plant stand out. I think the central placement of the bird works well in this image but would suggest straightening the stem of the plant as the slightly-off alignment is a bit distracting while a vertical stem would add to the graphic strength of the image.

Commended: Gang-gang Cockatoo - Stephen Garth (Image #19301).

The feather detail is this image of a young male Gang-gang Cockatoo is stunning. The greenery places him in his environment where he stands out nicely against the soft background. There is a small halo around him in places that suggests that the image may have been a little over-sharpened. The reflection in his eye adds to the appeal of the image.

Commended: Red-footed Booby - Judy Leitch (Image #19329 - image no longer available).

This is a lovely study of a Red-footed Booby in flight. The light is coming from the back of the bird which wouldn’t usually be so successful but it works because the bird has lifted its head and light falls onto its head, eye and bill. The detail in the dark feathers is pleasing. There are a scattering of dust spots which could be easily removed during post-processing.

Commended: Crimson Rosella - Wilson Lennard (Image #19125 - image no longer available)

The image of this beautifully mottled Crimson Rosella is superbly sharp. The eye-contact is appealing, particularly as the bird is continuing to feed and therefore doesn’t seem perturbed by the presence of the photographer. As the bird is looking at the camera there is no need for the wide margin on the right for the bird to look into. I think the image would be even stronger if the right-hand side was cropped quite heavily and a little was taken from the bottom of the image to balance the change.