It was really tough selecting a winner this week. Because there were a limited number of entries this week, I thought I'd provide my thoughts on each image because, if you're like me, you often wonder why your image wasn't chosen when you believed your submission was a serious contender (and there were definitely a few serious contenders this week).

Catching Air - The shot is very well timed for the peak of action. Unfortunately, with the subject and the water mostly shaded, the brighter rocks draw too much attention away from the [shaded] primary subjects.

Lesser Yellowlegs - I really like the bird's posture and the very clear reflection, but I wish it was a tighter shot so the detail in the bird's feathers was more apparent.

The Wise - I like the concept and overall look of the image, but the bright highlight on the left arm and on the spot on the sash are distracting from the otherwise great image.

Fishin buddy - With my first (and likely) only kid on the way, the "Awww" factor hit me pretty hard.

Starry Night - I really like this shot. I like the bluish lights set against the warmer light from the street lights. I like the desolation aspect of it, with the city clearly visible through the trees. It's not necessarily a shot I'm typically drawn to, but it was a top contender.

Natural - I like the subject's expression and I especially love the reflection in the sunglasses (I spent some time trying to visualize precisely what the reflection was). However, I'm not a huge fan of the black and white processing. I'd be curious to see how the color image came out and, if not better, to see what a different color grading might have looked like.

Something I never thought I'd see.... - Definitely interesting, but this one could also have benefitted from tighter framing as well as the snakes being fully lit by sunlight. However, if it were me, I'm not sure I would have gotten close enough to get the shot shown.

Dinner - I like the golden warmth of the light bathing the subject. The action captured is obvious. I think the image could have also benefited from a tighter framing, showing more detail and with the stick hidden outside the frame (or the part of it remaining in the frame cloned out).

And the winner...

Female Cardinal in mating plumage - The bird and perch are well-lit, and along with the creamy bokeh, lead to great background separation. There is a lot of detail to see in the feathers. I also like that the bird's eye lands very close to the intersection of the rule-of-thirds, and that it has a great catchlight.

Congrats Joel!