Berries and Bluebirds
On a hike a couple of weeks ago, we cut some winterberries to use in our Christmas decorations. We placed them along with the Christmas lights in some of the evergreen bushes out front.
This morning, as I was shoveling out from last night’s foot of snow, I saw some flashes of blue over by the bushes where we’d placed the berries.
I almost didn’t run back into the house for the good camera. After all, it was freezing cold with strong winds drifting snow and whipping it down my collar, and I had a driveway to shovel.
But I did, and over the course of about two hours of shoveling, I was able to capture a few really good pictures of some Eastern Bluebirds, despite the fact that they were a little skittish and I had to stand still in the cold and snow for minutes at a stretch so they would come back to the berries.
I got some of my best ever shots of one of the northeast’s most striking birds, and it reminded me to get up and grab the camera when the opportunity strikes, even when I’m busy and even when it’ll be uncomfortable.
I particularly liked this series of three photos, with its story of pick, swallow, and fly.
We also have plenty of visitors who come to the food we put out intentionally, like this male Downy Woodpecker I caught with his tongue out earlier in the week.
I can’t tell if I like the tongue out photo better or this one, which seems to capture the bird’s personality. I got quite close in these photos, so they are particularly sharp and detailed. Like most photos in the journal, you can click on them to view a larger version.
I saved my favorite photo of the week for last. As fun as the berry series is, and as detailed as the Downy pictures are, I really like the composition of this one and the expression on the Bluebird. It’s definitely one of my all-time best bird pictures, though any botanist will quickly notice that the berries don’t match the foliage.