Signs of Spring?

[Celebration]

I'm sorry, everyone in the NE, but it was a pretty nice day here for a change, and I happened to capture my first picture of a bluebird for the season, and EVER in this county, so I had to post it, even though, yup, Shelby Farms. At least there is no heron in the picture! Oh, and, here's a guy fishing, in a pretty peaceful scene. Usually it's windy out there.

[Blue_In_AK]

1. The bluebird of happiness?

They're such pretty birds. I wish we got them up here. We have stellar jays, which are blue, but none of these cute little bluebirds.

We were starting to show a little green grass here and there close to buildings, etc., until the 9 inches of now we got yesterday. :) Oh, well, I knew it was too good to be true.

[Celebration]

5. I wish we had more!

There are none of these in the suburbs, but I think they are building special boxes at Shelby Farms, so there are some out there. Still, I don't see them much. Apparently other more aggressive birds take the places where they like to build nests. They have been in decline, but this was reversed when people started putting out the bluebird houses.

[qnr]

2. What a cutie! (the bird, not the fisherman - though I'm sure he's ok too)

I was gonna lend your thread a heron photo or two, just because, but I decided you probably didn't want them :).

[Celebration]

6. wish you had!

Personally, I can't get enough herons, or birds of any kind. I would love to see your heron pictures. I'm saving some and will post them when the time is right. If you don't start a heron thread before then, I will insist that you and everyone else hoarding heron pictures join the thread!

[qnr]

10. ok - well, here are a couple that I took this morning - they're links if you want

to see or download the full sized versions (most of my photos online are Creative Commons).

SEC Heron on watch
Get it? Securities and Exchange Commission? Overlooking banks? ....oh, nevermind :)

Sitting Pretty

[Celebration]

13. Oh, great pics

I love pictures of them when it's windy like this, with feathers flying.

So much fun taking pictures of herons!

Next time I start a heron thread I am specifically inviting all heron pictures!

[JeffR]

3. Both are great (and very encouraging!)

The second one is a real keeper. Very, very appealing composition.

[Celebration]

7. well, it was pretty simple

It was very appealing just looking at it, mainly because the water was uncharacteristically still. Plus, in this case I actually liked the effect of taking it towards the sun. It was just an interesting scene. I didn't go out there with the intention of taking a picture of anyone going fishing. But, there it was.........

[JeffR]

15. The light is so subtle and so attractive.

There it was, and you got it. And it's great.

[Callalily]

4. Spring? Hmmmm . . . what is that! LOL

Although both great pictures, I agree with JeffR on pic #2. Great juxtaposition.

[Celebration]

8. I know, sigh

Honestly, until the last two days, I would have asked the same thing. Then I noticed my next door neighbor has some daffodils starting to pop up. But, it has gotten below freezing every night I think, and usually in the twenties. But the high today was near 50, and it seemed balmy. The average high this time of year is 57. I don't think it has even touched 57 more than one or two days since fall!

On the second picture, WJMS sent me a very nice PM with a suggestion on doing something a bit different with the photo. Guess what? He was RIGHT. WJMS, would you mind posting your edits to this thread for people to see?

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

9. sure, here it is

[JeffR]

16. Very effective.

It turns the water into an abstract color field and accentuates the Zen feeling of the scene.

:thumbsup:

[Mira]

11. I adore both of these.

My bluebirds do not look like this. So I have to see what mine are.

(before I came here, I hardly knew there are bluebirds)

and now I look forward to spring like mad, and I'm laying the groundwork for bringing the birds to my yard, and to learn about them as I lie in wait with my camera. I also planted lot of bulbs, and there are quarter inch growths in the places I molested with them.

The second one, if I had taken that (not likely, but anyway)
I would have cropped the top away to the water, taken a little off the bottom, and come in on the right to balance the shape.

I'm attempting to do the thing Richard D proposed.
To me, then that photo would be totally perfect.

Opinions?

[Celebration]

14. yeah

Big difference between bluebirds and blue birds. The most common blue bird around here are blue jays. They don't have such a great reputation. I don't mind them all that much, but they were known to dive bomb our cat, when we had one. And, he was pretty useless as a hunter, so I am not sure what their problem was.

Bluebirds are rarely found anywhere near suburbs, unless the suburbs have tons of open land around them. They are found out in the country, and specifically where people have put out bluebird boxes for them to nest in. Bluebirds are very desirable birds.

Oh, I love getting feedback on my photos, as Richard D suggested. I am not sure we need a specific thread, but I think anyone posting here would invite a different point of view, even if we don't agree.

In this case, I agree with you and WJMS.

[Mira]

12. WOW - What happened?

WJMS posted the exact changes I was describing, and I did not see it!
He created what I envisioned, while I was not looking, and I like it as much as I thought I would.