Robert M. Palmer - Grand Prize, Professional

While watching a group of bald eagles that had congregated at a local cattle feed lot, Palmer noticed the raptors were climbing into the air to catch starlings and blackbirds—not necessarily typical prey for the large birds.

Using a 500mm lens and a 1.4x extender, Palmer photographed this dramatic midair scene of an eagle and a starling before his week-long encounter with the birds ended and the raptors left the area.

For more stunning photographs from the National Wildlife photo contest, please visit the National Wildlife Federation.