Winning Images of our weekly contest

A pair of juvenile male house sparrows take a bath in a Palatine backyard, but the one on the right seems to have a quizzical look on its face. Doris Krandel of Palatine

On a visit to Morton Arboretum in Lisle, I came across this panoramic Fall view of Meadow Lake by the visitor center. Being autumn, it was an unbe-leaf-able sight! The young boy's gaze toward the center of the picture had me Falling for the scene. I snapped five photos to capture the full panorama. With rows of corn at my back, I found the afternoon to be an a-maize-ing adventure. In all seriousness, I did find the composition compelling, and the young boy looking out onto the lake seemed to be asking, "Look, do you see what I see?" Tony Lyons of Wheaton

This photograph is a macro of a Painted Lady Butterfly that I took in the Morton Arboretum! It posed perfectly for me just at the right moment. I took this photograph earlier this month right as the weather got cooler. I used manual focus and my trusty Nikon D3200. Sarah Kratz of Warrenville

A close-up of an orchid at the Chicago Botanic Garden Orchid Show in Glencoe last February. Lynne Solway of Buffalo Grove

The glow of the aspens accent the drive along the Bow Valley Parkway in Banff National Park on September 30th. The sun shined brightly on the trees while the clouds started to move in on mountains in the background. John Sanfillippo of Hoffman Estates

The sun sets over the Sierra Nevadas mountains near Bridgeport, Calif. last October with the pink sky reflecting on a stream that cuts through a cattle ranch. Mike Stone of Round Lake Beach

This photo was taken at Fabyan Windmill during the fall season. It was taken after heavy rains and storms rolled through the Chicago area. The dark clouds contrasted beautifully with the changing leaves and we were left with beautiful, golden sun peaking through the clouds. David Genty of Roselle

An elephant grazes in the savanna in South Africa this past September. Cindy Cooper of Lake Zurich

Local residents dress in colorful clothing in Cuzco, Peru last July. Ann English of Lake Barrington

Mt. Fitzroy dominated the scene throughout our trek near El Chalten in the Patagonian region of Argentina. When turning one corner, the stream fed by glaciers from it heights framed this view in spectacular fashion. Mark Biernacki of Elgin

This is a Short-eared Owl I found last week at Jelke Bird Sanctuary in Sleepy Hollow, a difficult bird to find & photograph. Walt Lutz of Elgin

With the recent cold weather in the area, I thought this view of the ice covering some leaves & rocks in our backyard fountain made for an interesting photo. Paulette Novalinski of Carpentersville