Thursday, January 27, 2011

For the Birds

Just a few photos of my local winged critters and some quotes which I found to be amusing. I hope you enjoy them.


sparrow6
“When birds burp, it must taste like bugs.” ~ Bill Watterson




woodrow5
"Everything at IKEA requires assembly. I bought a pillow, and they gave me a duck." ~ Todd Glass




sparrow
“I don't like small birds. They hop around so merrily outside my window, looking so innocent. but I know that secretly, they're watching my every move and plotting to beat me over the head with a large steel pipe and take my shoe.” ~ Jack Handy




woodrow the thristy
"It's a good thing we have gravity, or else when birds died they'd just stay right up there. Hunters would be all confused." ~ Steven Wright




cutie8
"Growing up, my Mom always claimed to feel bad when a bird would slam head-first into our living room window. If she really felt bad, though, she'd have moved the bird feeder outside." ~ Rich Johnson

69 comments:

Christmas-etc... said...

Yep... she should have moved the feeder outside!
Cute reflections...beautiful images.
Ann

Moannie said...

Stunning clarity and serendipitous captures.

June said...

Funny! Thanks. Nice to smile at this in the morning with my first cup of coffee.

If I could take pictures like that I wouldn't bother with a day job.

Pauline said...

ooooh-aahhhhed my way through the photos and chuckled at the quotes. You do have a knack!

Brian Miller said...

nice shots...love the quotes as well...i esp like that first pic!

Lori said...

Great captures Hilary...quotes are fun...thanks for the smile while having my morning coffee. Priceless.

Tabor said...

Wonderful bird photos. So clear and very funny lines to accompany them! This is surely a POTW.

messymimi said...

Wonder if Watterson had Calvin or Hobbes say that. Either way, it's funny, as is the last quote.

Will have to come back and show Sweetie the ducks, he loves them most.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

haha, ikea and the duck!!!!

laughwithusblog said...

These make me want to move to the country!

beth said...

wow.....what shots !
oh the color in the ducks....wood ducks ? is amazing...

Out on the prairie said...

Love the humor, you found some real good ones.

Rebecca said...

wow besutiful

larkswing said...

lol! so sad, poor placement of bird feeder!

Steve Gravano said...

Great photos. We just got about ten inches of snow and I was watching the birds at the feeder and thinking about you. I turn on the internet and there's a bird post at the Smitten Image!

Unknown said...

Love all the photos and the quotatations, but that first photo... is magnificent!

Anonymous said...

Ouch! Is all I can say whenever a bird hits the window.

Di
Great and funny quotes.

Unknown said...

Beautiful bird shots!! (Ha! That's funny if you're living with a hunter with a shotgun!) Seriously, those pictures are absolutely lovely! In fact, you reminded me of some pix I had of a fox, and a story that I failed to tell! Thanks! You can see Br'er Fox on my blog, if you like.
:-)

Elizabeth Grimes said...

I knew I was gonna love it when i read the title. Beautiful and humorous...a winning combination. :)

Daryl said...

WOW .. these are sensational .. especially the ducks and their reflections ...

Dan said...

Wonderfully captured. The light on some of the small birds is excellent!

Well done!!!

Daniel


Explore. Dream. Discover.
http://daniels-view.blogspot.com/

Travis Erwin said...

Is there anything prettier than a male wood duck?

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

I especially loved the first photograph and the final quote. I agree with Tabor...we nominate you for a POTW. :)

ellen abbott said...

love the first and the last.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the chuckles this morning! That 4th one down with the wood duck's reflection in the water ~ amazing!

Bossy Betty said...

Wonderful pictures AND the quotes cracked me up! That little bird in the first shot is my favorite!!

Pat - Arkansas said...

Oh my goodness! That last quote almost made me spew my coffee!

Fantastic photos, as usual; the wood ducks are sooooo beautiful.

Kristina P. said...

You capture every detail so beautifully.

Frank Baron said...

Very nice shots of our feathered buddies and cute captions. The last one cracked me up. :)

Dianne said...

the quotes are wonderful
and the photos are just amazing!!

I love the first one moster, mostest because the bird looks so happy to be posing

Mage said...

...and I had to go outside and pick up the dead birds.

Marvelous images.

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Beauty in the brown there. The duck colors are amazing. Great post for a cold January day. Enjoyed it.

Shrinky said...

All of these photographs are stunning, but the first one is so beautifully framed, it has to be my favourite! As to the quotes, very witty - thanks for making me smile.

Anonymous said...

Amazing clarity and colours! That wood duck is so beautifully adorned!

Barbara said...

Thanks for the laugh - love those quotes! And the photos are beautiful as usual - I wish my birds would sit still and let me get a little closer - they seem to know the range of my zoom lens.

Linda said...

Those are all fantastic shots with such great detail. I just love the little guy framed in the lattice.

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

Your wonderful photography with those quotes is exactly what I needed this afternoon. Thanks, Hilary! :)

Bob Bushell said...

Brilliant photos and the writings, superb.

Friko said...

How on earth do you get the birds to pose for you?

Maggie May said...

Lovely birdie photos and the last quote made me laugh.
Maggie X

Nuts in May

Arts web show said...

Ha ha, i'm lolling on the last one.
Awesome pictures, some of these birds look very odd. lol

Sridharan said...

Greetings from India..!

Fantastic capture. Tough to shoot these critters..You've done well..
You've got a nice little blog.. I like it and am following it.
I have a photo gallery too, that you could be interested in..

Velvet Over Steel said...

Beautiful bird pictures! I've never seen any of those qoutes before.. funny!!!

SandyCarlson said...

Incredible. Your photos take the word awesome out of its overused state and make it new again. Your work is stunning.

The quotes made me laugh, too.

Hilary said...

• Thanks, Ann. May all your bird feeders be outdoors. :)

• Thank you so much, Moannie. I'm so glad you think so. :)

• Thanks, June. Such a kind thing to say. And I'm glad that my blog goes well with your morning coffee. :)

• Thank you so kindly, Pauline. Much appreciated. :)

• Brian, thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed them. :)

• Thank you, Lori. Were you having your coffee with June? ;)

• Thanks very much, Tabor. I appreciate that. :)

• MessyMimi, I would think that's likely. It sound very Calvin and Hobbesesque. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Glad you liked it, Gary. :)

• Thanks, LaughWithUs but I live in the city. :)

• Thank you, Beth. Yes, wood ducks. Beautiful creatures, aren't they? :)

• Thanks, Steve. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

• Thank you, Becca. :)

• Lailani, unfortunate lack of foresight, isn't it? ;)

• Steve, you thought about me while watching your birds? I hope it's not the birdbrain image. ;) I'm glad you stopped by and that I didn't disappoint. :)

• Thank you kindly, Jane. I loved watching that little sweetie. :)

• Snappy Di, it's a gut-wrenching feeling when they do. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. :)

• Susan, thank you so much. I'll be over semi-soonish to read about your fox. :)

• Elizabeth, thanks so much. I got quite a kick of these quotes. I'm glad you did, too. :)

• Daryl, thank you. I love this wood duck.. Woodrow. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

• Daniel, thank you so much. That means a lot to me. :)

• Travis, nothing that I could think of at the moment. I'm quite fond of Woodrow. :)

Hilary said...

• Thanks kindly, Linda but in the POTW handbook, it specifically states that this blog is out of the running. But I appreciate the sentiment. :)

• Thanks, Ellen. I'm glad you did. :)

• Jillsy, my pleasure. I'm glad you enjoyed them. :)

• Thanks, Betty. I'm quite fond of that little sweetie, too. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. :)

• Pat, I'm glad you didn't quite have a spewing accident. That would have made a mess of your monitor. Thanks so much for your always-kind words. :)

• Thanks very much, Kristina. :)

• Thank you, Frank. It made me snicker too. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. :)

• Dianne, thanks much, muchly, muchest. He kind of made my day by posing like that. :)

• Maggie, it sounds like you could have used that non-gravity thing as mentioned in that Steven Wright quote. Thanks for the kind words. :)

• MJ, thanks kindly. The Wood duck has amazing colours. I'm glad he brightened up your day. :)

• Shrinky, thanks for stopping by for a visit. I'm so glad you enjoyed the photos and quotes. More so that they made you smile. :)

• Lady Fi, he's an amazing critter. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

• Barbara, I'm glad you got a laugh out of them. Birds are pretty clever that way. If you stay still long enough they'll often come closer.. the hard part is that you have to stay still with your camera in position. Thanks for your kind words. :)

• Thanks kindly, Linda. I'm glad you liked it. :)

• KC, I'm glad I could hit the spot. :)

• Thanks very much, Bob. That means a lot to me coming from a fine photographer such as yourself. :)

• Friko, I pin their little wings behind their backs until they give in. :)

• Thanks, Maggie. I'm glad you got a laugh out of it. :)

• AWS, thank you. I'm not sure which ones look odd to you but I'm glad you got a laugh out it. :)

• Welcome, Sridharan. Thank you for your very kind words. I'm glad you're enjoying my blog. I'll be by to visit yours semi-shortly. :)

• Thank you, Coreen. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

• Sandy, what a sweet thing to say. You never fail to make my day brighter. Thank you so much for your always-kind words, friend. :)

Dave said...

Wonderful photos and quotes Hilary. I laughed out loud at the last one :-) Dave

Zuzana said...

Beautiful images and words. I am always so fascinated by your bird photography. I am hoping to soon be able to capture birds the way you can (or at least close to;). I already manage to zoom in on a bird far away and the image was ok, much better than it would have been with my previous camera. So now I am just hoping for opportunities to take walks and capture birds.;))
Have a great Friday dear Hilary,
xoxo

CiCi said...

Wow, to be able to take such close up and clear photos of birds like this. These are wonderful. The first picture is something to be framed and enjoyed every day.

Juana said...

Thank you for brightening my morning!! Those birds are the quotes
a winning combination! :)

Anvilcloud said...

A fine marriage of quotes with great photos. Do you have a super zoom to get so close?

Paul C said...

You take incredible close up shots, Hilary. You must use a tripod?

Dawning Inspiration said...

Oh Hilary! That first one - YOWZA - LOVE that composition...and the last one is precious!

lime said...

the quotes are hilarious. the shots are amazing! the first one is just gorgeous, the framing and clarity. the second, the colors are just so vibrant.

sage said...

Wonderful photos--love the way the first bird is framed by the wood, and the reflections of the wood ducks.

photowannabe said...

Thanks for the grin this morning. Where did you find such delightful quotes? Stunning shots of the little creatures. I especially like the first one of the sparrow framed in the lattice work.
Have a super weekend Hilary.

Land of shimp said...

I'm having a difficult time deciding which quote I like best :-) I think it's the IKEA quote. Don't birds always seem to have an expression on their faces? As if they just seconds away from actually saying something? I find that amazing seeing as their little faces are beneath a layer of feathers. You'd think they'd be incapable of having varying expressions.

Hehe, admittedly, perhaps what they are all on the verge of saying is, "Would you stop looking at me already? Jeez. You humans with your staring and your cameras. Go hunt a worm, would you?"

But I vote for more pictures.

Cheryl Kohan said...

Oh, how funny - I love funny quotes, too. I love all quotes, actually (-:

My favorite photo is the action shot of the wood duck taking a drink of water! Those wood ducks are amazing beauties, aren't they?

sleepinl8 said...

Ha ha I love it! And I'm glad you have the list of blogs on the side there because they make for a much more interesting read than just skimming through random blogs.

Unknown said...

love love love.
the photos,
and the quotes... a good laugh for a change. thank you

Debbie said...

I love that first one so much! You did a great job matching the photos to the quotes.

Karen said...

lol...for your last quote! Hilary, your first picture and the mallards with the reflection are absolutely stunning!

Claudya Martinez said...

First of all, I always love your photos and I appreciate the chuckles I got from the quotes.

Hilary said...

• Dave, thank you kindly. I'm glad you got a good laugh out of it. :)

• Zuzana, my friend I thank you. I have no doubt you'll be capturing wonderful close up images as soon as you are out there in search of your subjects. I can't wait to see them. Thanks always for stopping by. :)

• TechnoBabe, thank you so much. It pleases me that you enjoyed them. :)

• Juana, thank you very much. :)

• AC, thanks. I have a 300 mm zoom and in this particular case, very cold toes from standing and waiting patiently in the snow. I just waited until the birds were suitably comfy with my presence to resume their cuteness a few feet away. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Paul C, thank you so much. I haven't used my tripod, yet. I use the old elbows in tight method. ;)

• Thank you, SD. I always hope for Yowza! ;)

• Thanks, Lime. I'm glad you enjoyed them. It was such an enjoyable outing. :)

• Thanks, Sage. It's alway fun to capture these critters. They're a treat to watch. :)

• Sue, I'm glad I was able to make you grin. I simply did a Google search for "funny bird quotes." They were few and far between but I was happy to find what I did. Thanks so much for the kind words. Always very much appreciated. :)

• Alane, I'm glad you enjoyed the quotes. You're right about birds and their expressions. Often they have this incredulous look on their faces or they simply appear to be pissed off. Sometimes they're just curious but yes, it always shows. I'll see what I can do to fulfill your vote. Thanks for the visit, my friend. :)

• Cheryl, you're right - Wood ducks are incredibly beautiful creatures. He's the only one that comes around here amid all our Mallards and he sure stand out with his bright feathers and subtle whistle. He's a treat. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Sleepinl8, I'm glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for dropping in. :)

• Deb, thanks, thanks, thanks. Very much appreciated. :)

• Debbie, thanks so much. I'm really pleased that you enjoyed them. :)

• Karen, thank you very much for such a kind compliment. It means a lot to me. And I'm glad you enjoyed the quotes. :)

• Unknown Mami, thank you kindly. I'm glad you do. :)

Bimbimbie said...

Ouch*!* I'm grinning widely, I shouldn't but ... funny quotes, lovely portraits especially like the first one.

Hilary said...

Thanks, Bimbimbie. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. :)

Country Girl said...

You are an absolute artiste, my dear. And that last quote was funny.

Indrani said...

Terrific critter captures. :)
I like the last quote, so true.

Hilary said...

• Thank you, Kate. That made me smile. :)

• Thanks, Indrani. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)