Avian potpourri from the last nine days. Seven photos, seven species.
None of them will win any awards but I think each has something to offer. Sorry, I ran out of time to provide image techs for this many photos.
An Eastern Kingbird and sunflowers. The flowers seem to soften the harshness of the barbed wire and I like that contrast..
An American White Pelican only minutes after sunrise. I was a little too close so the photo is full frame (uncropped).
A young and heavily molting Gray Catbird. This bird came in so close to my pickup I had to switch to my smaller zoom lens.
A Black-headed Grosbeak. For some reason this species has been unusually difficult for me to photograph so I’m allowing this bird some leeway with the somewhat cluttered setting and obscuring twigs.
A Barn Swallow contemplating a sunflower. This is the same bird that ruined my plans for flight shots by taking off directly at me.
A fluffed up and side lit Cedar Waxwing with a fully erected crest.
A female Western Tanager studying my pickup and its contents intently. I believe this pose was her reaction to the staccato sounds of two camera shutters firing in bursts.
Yes I know, the shadows. But I think she’s cute.
Ron
I really enjoyed the series, the gestures and expressions.
Where is the Grosbeaks left leg?
Deena, I know it doesn’t look like it but that actually is the left leg we’re seeing. The right foot is grasping the branch behind his lower neck. I can see it in one of the other shots and in different poses I can see both legs.
Oh my gosh what fun to see these. Thank you, Ron!
Mary
Glad you enjoyed them, Mary.
All stunning Ron!
Thanks, Sheila.
Au contraire, awards all around.🙂
A few second places maybe…
Oooh.
Ahhh.
And thank you. Awe, wonder and delight are pretty damn special starts to any day.
I’d agree with that. Thanks, EC.
Oh how I LOVE potpourri days!! Each and every one is a joy, despite all your nits 😉 Gotta do some heavy lingering on these!
And oh how I wish you’d been with me in Tucson the last two days! The photo opportunities were abundant to spectacular! And me without the capability to capture any of them! The best was an aerial battle between a nesting (I think) swallow (couldn’t see it well enough for a proper ID) and an adult male Harris’ hawk who DARED to venture into her/his nesting territory! WRONG answer! Thank you for playing! But the REAL message was “Thou SHALT NOT be allowed in this air space. PERIOD!” S/he hit the HAHA so hard that s/he tumbled him! The next two hard-hit assaults resulted in the HAHA turning upside down to try to catch the attacking little bombarder as he flew out of town! That catch didn’t happen and peace was restored. The HAHA than joined his mate and three kiddos for a family soar flight on the winds. SPECTACULAR!
And no, Jack doesn’t yet have a baby brother!
Thanks, Laura. That must have been a blast to watch!
Oh it was. I had to scrape my jaw off the ground. And YAY to the little swallow! I’m CERTAIN that HAHA knew where the boundary was. Cheeky devil!
Like them all…thanks.
Good. Thanks, Patty.
Wonderful collection. It’s good to see, birds in the wild looking healthy and happy.
It sure is, I’ll bet especially for you April. Thanks.
The female Western Tanager gets my vote! She is precious, curious and seems to be saying, “what ‘cha doin’?” She warmed my heart and made me smile. Thank you, Ron!
She did the same to me, Melanie. I loved her obvious curiosity.
Nice variety!
Thank you, Jean.
Nice selection Ron!
Charlotte Norton
Thanks, Charlotte.
Nice to see all the different birds in your area. Cute shots.
Thanks, Trudy.
This was a treat to wake up to—I, too, loved the Barn Swallow/sunflower
and the Kingbird/sunflower shots– it’s interesting how a single humble
wildflower can point up the sleek beauty of a relatively “plain” bird—one’s
eye bounces back and forth between them. Thanks for the “potpourri” !
I agree about the effect of the flowers. Thanks, Kris.
What a lovely collection. All special in different ways. Thanks!
Thank you, Cathy.
Love the potpourri! They are all special but the photo of the Barn Swallow truly caught my eye. The sunflower gazing is heart warming. This photo shows me a different look at the uniqueness of the swallow…that sleek body with those long slender wings really caught my eye. I guess I’ve not really ‘looked’ at them this closely before or perhaps have not seen one sitting still like this. Really love this shot!
Thanks, Kathy. I took quite a few photos of that swallow in more traditional poses but I thought this one with ‘him’ looking at the flower was pretty neat.
That Cedar Waxwing is just special. Thanks for sharing it!
I’m glad you like it, Dan. Sometimes I think sidelight enhances a photo and for me this is one of those instances.
Really like the pelican minutes after sunrise, don’t think I have ever seen a fluffed up Waxwing, and very much appreciate the cluttered look of the Black-headed Grosbeak. There are always a few birds like him that you will accept almost any photo of due to the difficult of finding opportunities to photograph them.
PS: How is life with the new truck?
Everett, overall I love the new pickup.
As always there’s a couple of things that the Ford engineers shout be shot with fragmenting bullets for doing but this pickup is pretty darn close to my ideal.
My Dad used to say “anyone who designs these vehicles should have to work on them for about 5 years first” SO true……;)
Judy, this one has a non-removeable headrest on the middle front seat that is a safety hazard. When the console is in the upright position it blocks my view in my blind spot on the right side. In most Ford trucks it’s removeable but not this model.
The Ford folks responsible for that decision are undoubtedly brain dead.
Fun variety of birds this morning! The Grosbeaks always seem to be slow moving and methodical in what they do – NOT when it comes to photography. 😉 Love the Western Tanager checking you out. Actually, they are all neat/fun in different ways! 🙂
Judy, I get so few opportunities with grosbeaks they’re borderline nemesis birds for me. I see them occasionally but they almost never come in close.
What a nice array!
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Dick.