Preparing for a Photo Shoot

 

Squirrels are very curious animals.  The squirrel I met in last December even jumped onto a broken log to see what I was going to do. 

She balanced for a while, trying to get comfortable on the log.

I am ready for a photo shoot.  And you?

Generally, life is good.

Who Would Have Known

 

Yesterday was not the best day for photographing birds. Heavy clouds covered the sky with a thick canvas, the light was terrible but the sudden appearance of the Cedar Waxwing brought an unspeakable joy. Nature never ceases to amaze me.

Generally, life is good.

Brown Creeper in the Beau Park

 

Yesterday in our local park I encountered a delicate small bird with a long tail that I have never met before. Later I will learn that I have met a Brown Creeper and another interesting thing: in Europe there are identical birds Eurasian Treecreepers.

The Brown Creeper above was looking for small insects in a tree and moved so quickly, in short jerky movements. It lasted for several seconds until the Creeper disappeared. 

Generally, life is good.

Male Mallard

Male Mallards are gorgeous birds.  They have such lovely colors that sometimes it's so hard not to take photos of them.  

During spring and summer breeding season their colorful plumage helps them to attract females. 

Generally, life is good.

Adult Gray Morph Eastern Screech-Owl

When I saw an owl leaning out of the bird's house, I couldn't believe my eyes, but as I came closer, I realized that I was not mistaken. 

At first, I thought I had met a Great Horned Owl but later I learned that an Eastern Screech-Owl was looking at me curiously from the round opening of the bird's house.  

Eastern Screech-Owls readily accept nest boxes and also use birdbaths and will visit them to drink and bathe.

 

Dozing with a half-closed eye, fluffy and so charming. 

Suzzane Labbe thank you very much for helping me to identify the owl!

Generally, life is good.

Notes to Self. Life

 

What happens, happens, and nothing can be done about it. 

I limp due to a muscle injury in my left leg. And it seems that I don’t have much choice now.   Of course, I can give up on this "now" and wait until tomorrow or after tomorrow, but tomorrow will be another "now", so there is no point in waiting.

Today I went to our local park and, based on the situation I am in now, I decided to make this outing turn out to be cool.

As luck would have it, the pond turned out to be quite boring, dirty and unfriendly, but at some point it became generous and I met a squirrel, and a little later a beautiful female Mallard.

***

Случается то, что случается и с этим ты ничего не можешь поделать.  

Я хромаю, повредила мышцу на левой ноге.  И кажется, что у меня сейчас не так уж много выбора, а есть только то, что я могу делать сейчас.  Я, конечно, могу отказаться от этого сейчас и подождать до завтра или после завтра, но  ведь завтра будет очередное сейчас, поэтому ждать не имеет никакого смысла.

Выбралась сегодня в наш местный парк  и исходя из ситуации, в которой я сейчас нахожусь, решила сделать так, чтобы эта вылазка оказалась крутой.

Пруд как назло оказался довольно скучным, грязным и недоброжелательным, но в какой-то момент он расщедрился и на моем пути повстречалась белочка, а чуть позднее и прекрасная самка Mалларда. 

Generally, life is good!

Feral Pigeon - I.

 

I don't often see Pigeons and when I spotted one in our local park I was happy to come across it.  

My first intention was to shoot a close up of Pigeon but very quickly I realized that the bird was pretty round and all my close-ups looked funny, only the version above turned out to be decent.

Life goes on.

Goslings - I.

 

Last week I came across a family of Canada Geese and their seven goslings in our local Beau park. 

At first they all looked the same, but the longer I stayed with them, the more I saw how different they were.

Some of goslings were smaller and weaker.  Sometimes they lost their balance and fell, others were bigger and stronger.  

This gosling is taking a short rest.  Soon it will join its parents and siblings for a swim.

It's so nice and safe to be together.

I hope that all goslings will survive first year and become strong birds.  I wish them all good health and long life.

Life goes on.  

Male Spotted Towhee is Looking for Food

Spotted Towhee is looking for food in the snow.

The seed has been found.

Life goes on.

Wild Turkeys in March - II.

Wild Turkey is smart and sensitive bird but it doesn't exactly win over our hearts with its beauty or charm.  

While photographing these interesting birds, I thought that charm and beauty is always in the eye of beholder.  To me these Turkeys are definitely adorable and beautiful. 

 

Life goes on.

Male Wood Duck is Looking for a Mate

There are more males among Wood Ducks than females and this creates a fierce competition between drakes for partners. The drake has to show a female his beauty, readiness to protect from other male rivals and, of course, strength. 

The Wood Duck drake in the photo above displays his beauty in the hope that some nearby female will notice him.

Unfortunately, none of the females appreciated all the wonderful qualities of this drake.  This happens from time to time, the females can allow themselves to be picky; they are in majority. 

Life goes on.

 

Wild Turkeys in March - I.

 

I was photographing a flock of chaotic Wild Turkeys in our local park, and nothing much was happening until one adventurous Turkey left the flock and decided to take a short rest in the snow.  

Suddenly it seemed like an interesting idea to take portraits of Turkeys instead of trying and failing to take photos of the entire flock.

This Turkey ended up next to a pine tree with fresh snow that slightly obscured Turkey's beak, but its eyes turned out to be sharp and this is the main thing.

A Wild Turkey bathes in the sun and enjoys a sunny morning.

Life goes on.

Song Sparrows Are Excellent Vocalists

Song Sparrows are very vocal and sing throughout the year. Their songs can be short and last a few seconds, while others are five seconds long.

Female Song Sparrows are attracted to males that have learned to sing a wider repertoire of songs.  These males can perform about six to twenty different melodies with only slight variations.

The Song Sparrow I photographed two weeks ago in our local park wasn't going to perform his songs in front of me, he just perched briefly on a log and then disappeared. 

Life goes on.

Mating Season is Around the Corner

 

In February I noticed that Canada Geese were starting to form pairs. The courtship of Canada Geese is quiet  peculiar, they stretch their necks high in the air, bobbing their heads, flap their wings and make honking sounds. 

You can see how the male Canada Goose is stretching his neck high in the air, he is very loudly showing his strength and agility to the female.

Eventually, the female began to respond to the courtship invitation.

Canada Geese usually stay together for life. If one member of the pair dies the other goose will mourn for a long period of time.  A young goose that mates during the first year and loses its mate may choose another mate within the same breeding season.

Life goes on.

Male Mallard in Flight

 

A fly-by from Male Mallard on a freezing cold morning. 

***

We are having a snow storm that started yesterday and will last today until late at night.  I would like to complain but can't, because we need water in the summer.  

The irony of ironies, that during yesterday and today I dropped all shoulds and haves and allowed myself to be lazy. What have I done?  Not so much. I was reading a lot, surfed the Internet looking for dogs to adapt and edited my photos.

Life goes on.

Fastidious American Robin

 

Robin, whom I met the other day, was quite fastidious and unpredictable in his choice of dried berries.  The moment I tried to photograph him picking a berry, Robin immediately changed his mind.

You can see on the photo above how Robin is looking for berry and it looks like he had chosen the right one but that was not the case.

After a second,  Robin changed his mind, probably the selected berry was too dry.

Perhaps, I should look for berries on the low branch, they look more appetizing.

Finally, the berry was chosen and the fastidious bird was satisfied with his choice.

In fall and winter,  Robins feed on berries and other fruit they can find.  They find their foods on shrubs, trees and vines of all kinds.  With the onset of spring and summer, these birds begin to feed on the ground.  Their menu will include earthworms, caterpillars and beetles. 

Life goes on.

 

Canada Geese in Flight

Winter is beautiful in its own way; foggy early mornings, sleepy trees, lazy sun often hiding behind clouds, endless snow-covered fields and geese flying high in the sky. 

Life goes on.

Fleeting Independence

A Wild Turkey is not a social bird but it always keeps in a well-organized flock. Even if one Turkey breaks away from the flock and seems to be on its own, it won't be for long.

Thus, the turkey on the photo above, being away from the flock, found itself at a crossroads.  Being  away from others and losing safety was apparently not a good idea.

Turning around and joining the flock is definitely safer. 

Life goes on.

My Favorite Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco

 

I started my bird photography mainly taking photos of different sparrows.  Dark-eyed Junco was one of them.  This little bird with a rounded head, a short bill and rather long conspicuous tail is my favorite sparrow.

I met this Junco a few days ago in our local park and just watched him without even thinking to take his photos. 

As I was about to leave the Junco suddenly stretched forward his tiny body in a matter of seconds, lightly touching the snow.  The stretch was so beautiful, so elegant.

Life goes on.

It's Time For Bathing

In the begging, while watching Mallard Ducks I thought  they had a very similar bathing style.  Then, looking closer, I noticed that each duck bathed in its own  way.  

Sometimes ducks, as in the photo above, covered themselves with their wings, like a cloak.  Others flapped their wings to shake off excess water. And everyone, without exception, bathed, vigorously splashing in the water.

Today I photographed mostly male Mallard Ducks.  The day was gray and gloomy and their winter plumage was so pleasing to the eye.

Life goes on.