March 2025 Wildlife Photography Contest Beginner Winner

For the past few years, I’ve worked just a quarter mile from Eden Landing Ecological Reserve in Hayward, California—one of the Bay Area’s richest estuaries. Around July last year, I began arriving early to walk the trails, always bringing my camera after missing too many beautiful moments.

One morning in September, I heard a rustle in the brush and waited. Out came a little common yellowthroat. At first, I was disappointed—shooting into the sun didn’t seem promising. But through the live view on my mirrorless camera, the scene transformed. The dried brush glowed gold against a powder-blue sky, with the yellowthroat camouflaged right in the center. 

The photo needed almost no editing. I call it “In Plain Sight,” not just for the bird’s subtle presence, but because it captures a dreamy, honest moment—just as I saw it.