A great blue heron photographed in Madison gave Christopher Baker first place in the Birds category of the 2026 Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest. Baker also took third in the same category with a Kentucky warbler in Huntsville.
Those two frames — one from Madison, one from the Rocket City — are a fair snapshot of what the contest keeps turning up in North Alabama: familiar birds, close to home.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is now accepting entries for the 2027 Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest. The deadline is Oct. 30…