Alice Cahill’s dramatic image of a Bald Eagle catching an American Coot at Atascadero Lake Park took the grand prize and became the 2025 California Wildlife Photo of the Year. The contest is sponsored by California Watchable Wildlife (CAWW) and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.
California Watchable Wildlife and Sierra Nevada Conservancy launched the contest to acknowledge photographs that illustrate the state’s diverse wildlife and the viewing experience found throughout its natural and wild lands. For the contest, a panel of three judges critiques each photograph based on creativity, technical excellence, overall impact and artistic merit. Unlike other state-sponsored photo contests, this runs throughout the year with winners announced bi-monthly and featured on social media platforms and the CAWW website. The California Wildlife Photo of the Year is selected from the bi-monthly winning images (15-20) by two judges from the Outdoor Writers Association of California (OWAC) a non-profit association of media professionals who communicate the vast array of outdoor recreational opportunities and related issues in California, the surrounding western region, and beyond.
The OWAC judges said they considered each of the finalists an outstanding representation of what the state offers. They commended each of the photographers for their exceptional skill seen through a camera lens—from the technical to the artistic. “The opportunity to choose the wildlife photo of the year was an honor, even though it’s never easy,” said the judges, Steve Callan and John Williamson.
“All of the photos were excellent. The photograph of a mature bald eagle snatching an American coot in midair stood out above the rest. The photographer’s timing was perfect, catching this classic scene in the right light and with great clarity,” Steve Callan remarked. “The balance and composition are outstanding. The patience and planning required to take an action shot like this without disrupting either bird’s natural behavior had to be difficult. The overall impact speaks for itself. What could be more impactful than catching our magnificent national bird in the act of doing what it does best?”
Alice is a third generation native Californian born in Los Angeles. She has wonderful memories of running barefoot in newly tilled soft earth and breathing in the heady scent of orange blossoms “Back then there was still a sense of wildness in the area – coyotes, rabbits, snakes, spiders and such were common. I fell in love with Nature,” Alice said. “In my 30s I took up backpacking and explored some incredibly beautiful places in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I treasure those memories, but I didn’t have a camera with me on those adventures.”
Alice received her first ‘real’ camera from her husband, Don, as a Christmas gift in 1992. She read multiple photo and nature magazines and enrolled in several New York Institute of Photography correspondence courses. She shot slides and learned how to compose and properly expose her images in camera.
Soon, she wanted to share the amazing experiences she was having out in Nature, and began to enter photo contests. “I have been honored to receive numerous awards for my photography. I was the Grand Prize winner of the 2012 Audubon Magazine contest, and my winning image was published on the cover of Audubon Magazine.” She has also had category wins in both the prestigious Nature’s Best International Photography contest and in the North American Nature Photography contest where her photo was published on the back cover of “Expressions” in 2015.
“In my photography I strive to see with the ‘eyes of my heart’ – to find that essential element which elicits a sense of wonder,” Alice reflected. “I am in love with all wild Nature – with her colors, designs, moods and her amazing wildlife. I believe Nature is a healing force and a refuge from the chaos of daily life. When we are quiet and listen, we can find peace and discover our own inner voice of wisdom. We live in a beautiful world.”
Two additional winning images that represent the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (taken in the Sierra Nevada) and California Watchable Wildlife (taken at an official CAWW viewing site) were also honored.
Sierra Nevada Conservancy
Dana Hodgson, Coyote pup siblings
Owens Lake, Inyo County
“These young coyotes rely on each other throughout their development. The
wildlife of Owens Lake has flourished since the LADWP has maintained water
ponds to lessen dust flurries. These coyote pups surprised me with a pose.”
California Watchable Wildlife
Jacqueline Deely, Long-billed Curler with Sand Crab
Morro Bay State Park, San Luis Obispo County
The largest of North American shorebirds with a very long, thin downward curved bill, perfectly designed to probe deep into the sand for aquatic invertebrates.
