Photo contest winners showcase the diversity of Arizona’s wildlife
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is excited to announce the winners of the 2020 wildlife photo contest.
Charles Ralston’s photo of a cactus wren was awarded best in show and is showcased on both the cover and in the calendar. Ralston, who lives in Waddell, was hiking on Desert Vista Trail in Phoenix when a cactus wren landed near him. The bird stayed in place long enough for Ralston to take several photos.
“When I got home and opened the photo on my computer, that was when I realized I had something special,” Ralston says. “I liked the coloring of the background vegetation and how the wren seemed to be perfectly perched on the cactus. I just love seeing wildlife in its natural surroundings.”
Twelve winning photographers are published in a full-size 2021 wildlife calendar in the November-December 2020 issue of Arizona Wildlife Views magazine. If you subscribe by Dec. 31, you will not only get a great deal of seven issues for $7, but you will also receive the calendar issue.
The 12 winning photographers are:
- Don Constantine, Flagstaff: California condor
- Sue Cullumber, Chandler: Burrowing owls
- Julie Curtis, Golden Valley: Desert cottontail
- Mary Lou DeZeeuw, Show Low: Bull elk
- Robert Frost, Tucson: Gould’s turkey
- Adam Gutierrez, Surprise: Southwest speckled rattlesnake
- Bryan Keil, Gilbert: Gambel’s quail
- John Kulberg, Wellton: Desert bighorn sheep
- Charles Ralston, Waddell: Cactus wren
- Mary Roger, Prescott Valley: Great blue heron
- Heather Spencer, Prescott: Pronghorn
- Lucas Wright, Chandler: Black bear
Given the strength and diversity of this year’s nearly 1,500 entries, the judges singled out 20 images from talented photographers for honorable mention. These photos also are featured in Arizona Wildlife Views magazine:
- Ian Adrian, Tucson: Sandhill cranes
- Hailey Babb, Chandler: Lesser long-nosed bat
- Anthony Battiste, Hereford: Sonoran mountain kingsnake
- Cheryl Cocroft, Cave Creek: Bobcat
- Bill Ferris, Flagstaff: Elk
- Dave Getz, Tempe: Mourning dove
- Sebastian Gozdziewski, Chandler: Desert spiny lizard
- Gene Hollander, Buffalo Grove, Ill.: Great horned owl
- Marti Huzarski, Chino Valley: Pronghorn
- William Lax, Mesa: Killdeer
- Leslie Leathers, Tucson: Mountain pygmy-owls
- Mario Martinez, Tucson: Antelope jackrabbit
- Jared McClain, Pima: Coues’ white-tailed deer
- Craig Miller, Payson: Bald eagle
- Laxman (Lucky) Murugesh, San Ramon, Calif.: Broad-billed hummingbird
- Bruce A. Philipps, Sun City West: Hooded merganser
- Leonard Provoid, Mesa: Black-crowned night-heron
- Gary Rossiter, Peoria: Great blue heron
- Sean Stubben, Tucson: White-nosed coatis
- Marc Zebell, Springerville: Elk
Thank you to everyone who submitted photographs, and we also want to thank Arizona Highways for its partnership in providing a streamlined submission process for this year’s contest.
Subscribe today to get seven issues for $7!
