FARMINGTON — Like a Alfred Hitchcock movie, the Franklin’s gull dominated the art work submitted by students this year for the 17th annual Davis County Great Salt Lake Bird Festival art contest.

This year’s art contest among area students generated “a lot of excitement” and 522 entries submitted by school classes, organizations and individuals, Davis County Great Salt Lake Bird Festival chairwoman Neka Roundy said.

The featured bird for the 2016 Great Salt Lake Bird Festival art contest was the Franklin’s gull.

Emily Schumacher of Snow Canyon Middle School in St. George captured “Best of Show” with her rendering of the bird, while Natalie Clawson of Layton placed first in the Grades 10-12 category.

“Utah has some amazing student artists,” Roundy said. “There were many wonderful pieces and the judges had a hard time choosing winners.”

This year’s bird festival is set to be held May 13-16 at the Legacy Events Center at 151 S. 1100 West in Farmington.

An award ceremony for those student winners in the art contest will be held at 5:45 p.m., on May 15 at the Events Center, Roundy said. The awards will be presented by festival guests and keynote speaker David Allen Sibley, the pre-imminent bird artist of our day, she said.

Families are invited to attend the ceremony, and stay for a 6 p.m. program that includes the topics native amphibians and reptiles, as well as bats.

The student art will be on display May 15 and May 16 during the festival at the Events Center.

For more information visit www.GreatSaltLakeBirdFest.com.

Contact reporter Bryon Saxton at 801-625-4244 or bsaxton@standard.net. Follow him on Twitter at @BryonSaxton