Lorraine MacDonnell, Lyrebirds (ANIMAL & NATURE 2023)

Three mornings in winter every year, a group of enthusiasts meet at 6am at Grants Picnic Ground in Kallista for the annual Lyrebird count. It is always dark and cold, usually boggy underfoot and often raining. We get allocated various spots throughout the forest to count as many lyrebirds that we can see or hear within a small time frame. As the sun rises the male lyrebirds emerge from their nest and begin their territorial song. The forest comes alive with their calls. It's amazing to hear. I have heard, seen and photographed them often over the years, and have always strived for the perfect shot taken during their mating dance. This year I was lucky.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.