Fish fight: action-packed eagle pic wins March photo contest

“I am very honored to win the March photography contest,” she said via email. “There are so many incredible photographers in Will County and it’s been a privilege to meet many of them and photograph wildlife beside them.”

Lasseter’s shot was chosen by judges for its action-packed subject matter.

“It isn’t just a bird photo,” one judge noted. “It’s a story. An eagle, a fish and a gull captured in a moment of raw conflict and survival, something that feels straight out of National Geographic, yet happening right here in our local preserves. That’s what elevates it beyond a typical wildlife shot.”

Another judge said Lasseter had to be “on her toes” to get the picture.

“A photographer could never plan for anything like this,” the judge said. “It was a right place, right moment kind of shot.”

Battling birds

Lasseter, who works as a personal trainer and a technology consultant, said she is a frequent visitor to Whalon Lake in Naperville because it’s near her home. The morning she shot the winning photo, she decided to follow the trail to the adjacent Hidden Lakes Trout Farm in Hidden Oaks Preserve.

“I was on my way back when I saw an adult bald eagle hovering over the lake, looking for a fish to catch,” she said in an email. “It caught one out of my view, then it flew up out of the water and was flying in my direction.”

Lasseter said the eagle was flying toward branches jutting out of the water near the Whalon Lake boat dock and was being chased by gulls.

“The gulls chase the eagles a lot at Whalon, hoping they will drop their fish,” she said. “I started shooting photos and continued until the eagle landed on the sticks. The eagle didn’t stay long because the gulls were still harassing it.”

After the eagle flew away, she reviewed her photos and noticed one where a gull was biting the eagle on the back of its neck.

“I was very excited and surprised that I was lucky enough to capture this image,” she said.

Lasseter said she loves animals and watching their behavior, which is why she photographs nature.

“Wild animals have a tough life and it’s an honor to see and photograph them as they go about their lives,” she explained. “The Will County forest preserves are such great places for wildlife and are wonderful environments in which to photograph them.”

Contest continues

Monthly photo contest winners will continue to be chosen through December. All monthly winners will advance to the final round, where they will compete for likes on Facebook in January 2027 to determine first, second and third place overall.

Each monthly photo contest winner will receive a $75 gift card. Overall winners will receive MasterCard gift cards worth $500 for first place, $250 for second place and $150 for third place. At the end of the contest, three participants will be randomly selected to each receive a $75 MasterCard gift card.

The contest is made possible through the support of The Nature Foundation of Will County(Opens in a new window).

Participants are encouraged to read the rules(Opens in a new window) before entering. Up to five photos can be submitted per month via the District’s contest upload page. Photos must be JPEG files no larger than 10 MB, and the preserve or trail location must be indicated. No AI-generated images or watermarks are allowed. Minimal, non-AI photo editing is acceptable.

Please note: All photos must be taken in a Will County forest preserve. Some submitted photos have been rejected because they were taken at sites not owned by the Forest Preserve District. For instance, if you are at a local municipal park or Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, which is owned by the U.S. Forest Service, those are not eligible.

If you are not sure which location is a forest preserve, check out the Interactive Map(Opens in a new window), which shows all Forest Preserve District locations.