Wednesday, July 20, 2011

For the Birds

Sorry, folks - still no Posts of the Week as I'm still away. I hope it won't be too long after my return before I can catch up and present a few.

I've used most of these quotes for bird photos before. They make me laugh so I'm using them again with some new pics in this scheduled post.


robin lunch
“When birds burp, it must taste like bugs.” ~ Bill Watterson
A robin showing off how the early bird catches the worm.





catbird
“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
A Catbird - I hear them all the time but they're elusive and I find them difficult to see. Frank spotted this one.



baby grackle
“Did St. Francis preach to the birds? Whatever for? If he really liked birds he would have done better to preach to the cats.”
~ Rebecca West

A young Grackle



rwbb on fence"What is it about a beautiful sunny afternoon, with the birds singing and the wind rustling through the leaves, that makes you want to get drunk?" ~ Jack Handy
I liked the diagonal line created by the angle of the fence. A male Red-winged blackbird poses nicely.



fishing heron4
“The bird thinks it a favor to give the fish a lift in the air” ~ Rabindranath Tagore
That wonderful fishing bird, the Great Blue Heron with a catch. I'm not sure what - perhaps a frog or a crayfish.




fishing heron8
"If I could come back as anything - I'd be a bird, first, but definitely the command key is my second choice." (Control key for you non-Mac users) ~ Nikki Giovanni
Here's Mr. Blue again, trying to regain his balance after stepping in a little too deep.




cardinal on railing
"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
A lovely young male Cardinal sits on the dock's railing. Isn't that a handsome crest on his head?

I'm still away from home, enjoying my time up at the cottage. This, along with the previous posts, was scheduled before I left home. This is the last one. Hopefully, I'll be back to catch up in real time before too long.

51 comments:

Brian Miller said...

nice...really like the grackle ont eh fence...and that red birds got my haircut...lol

VM Sehy Photography said...

Lovely shots all of them. My very favorite are the blue heron shots.

Cloudia said...

What AMAZING shots!



Aloha from Waikiki;


Comfort Spiral

><}}(°>

Anonymous said...

Wonderful shots. And thanks for the chuckle.

Grayquill said...

I have a pic I took a few weeks ago of a blue herron - Now that I see your pictue I have to throw mine out I will never be able to look at mine agina without crying...You have ruined everything. Thanks alot - not :-O :-)
You are one talented lady! I hope you and Frank are having more fun then either of you deserve.
Thanks for the great pictures once again.

Dan said...

Smitten with envy, wonderful images of the Blue Heron.

ethelmaepotter! said...

I remember some of these - really like the heron - and I've never even heard of a catbird. Going to look it up now. Enjoy your time at the cottage!

Steve Gravano said...

Some amazing sand beautiful photos once again. And the quotes are funny no matter how may times you use them!

Anvilcloud said...

Someday, I'll have to drive down there for some personal, hands-on instruction on how to take such sharp photos. :)

TexWisGirl said...

loved every image and soaked in every laugh from the quotes. :) thanks for starting my morning out well! love the GBH and the red-wing is just SO striking!

Unknown said...

I've never seen the sun shine through a cardinal's crest before! He must have been really showing off for someone and making it stand up extra tall! Like!!!

Elizabeth Grimes said...

Lol! Great quotes. This was a fun post.

Shammickite said...

Hi Hilary.... I know that you are enjoying your time up at the cottage, and I'm sure you'll come back with lots of wonderful photos to show us.
Where I live there are sprinkers that water the lawn early every morning, and as soon as the water is off, the robins come down looking for worms in the damp soil.... and they always have a feast!

Pearl said...

I absolutely love birds of all kinds.

Meanwhile, take your time, come back when you can.

Pearl

Out on the prairie said...

Lovely shots again, hope you are having a good time.

Anonymous said...

love Mr. Cardinal!

Daryl said...

Now that I have a 200mm lens I am going to get me some birds and other zoomy things

Pierre BOYER said...

It remember me birds I saw during my Florida trip in march...
http://pierre-boyer.blogspot.com/p/bestioles.html
Greetings from France,

Pierre

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

You got a great shot of that catbird. The red-winged blackbird looks regal on that fence, as did the heron with its catch...until you also captured him flailing in the deep water. You could have omitted that image and let him salvage a bit of his dignity. :)

ellen abbott said...

I enjoy your bird pics so much.

messymimi said...

Hope you are enjoying the Cottage as much as i enjoyed the pics!

Barbara said...

I love the diagonals of that fence, too!

Frank Baron said...

Nice selection from the avian collection. The catbird shot came out very well. I thought it would be in more shadow. Good stuff. :)

holdingmoments said...

A wonderful selection of your birds Hilary.
Enjoyed the quotes too.

Liz Mays said...

That quote by Jack Handy really made me giggle!

Bob Bushell said...

Beautiful images, all of them, and the text is wonderful, good and funny.

beth said...

enjoy your time away....we all need a break during the summer.
LOVE the birds...especially the sun shining through the cardinal's mohawk.

Suldog said...

We have had cardinals nesting in our neighborhood for the past few years. Quite a colorful and unexpected sight any time I look out of our kitchen window and spy one on the fence nearby.

Pauline said...

I'm surprised your catbirds are shy - the ones here sing to me up close. Such beautiful bird shots - their colors and voices make summer special. There's a blue heron here that likes to stand at the base of the dam and catch whatever slithers over.

photowannabe said...

I'm so glad you are enjoying your time at the cabin. Time away from the cares of home can really charge the battery.
Love the great bird pictures and the quotes to go with them.

Don said...

Beautiful shots and good quotes too!

Betty Manousos said...

i really love your photography.
your photos show a keen eye and incisive observation.

these are stunning!!
very well done to you!!

betty xx

Jayne said...

Perty birdies. It would be funny to see them all together at a bird convention. ;)

Unknown said...

I love the cardinal but that's only natural because they're our state bird. The heron reminds me of home at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay but what takes the cake is that robin. I've been trying to get a decent shot of one for weeks but every time I frame a shot they turn their backs to me!

Hilary said...

• Thanks, Brian. You and that Cardinal are handsome fellows indeed. ;)

• VM, thanks kindly. :)

• Thank you, Cloudia. :)

• Thanks, Lady Fi. My pleasure. :)

• Grayquill, thank you so kindly. Herons can be a very frustrating bird to photograph and very addictive. I just keep snapping away and sometimes I just get lucky. It helps to have Frank's great zoom lens on me too.. and his fine expertise. :)

• Thanks very much, Daniel. :)

• Ethelmae, the catbird is quite cool. It really does sound like a cat sometimes. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Steve, thank you. And I agree about those quotes. I may just use them again sometime. ;)

• AC, you and Cuppa are welcome anytime. Bring those adorable kidlets, too. :)

• Thank you so much TexWisGirl. Your kind words are very much appreciated. :)

• Susan, that was a first for me too. He was indeed a showoff, eh? :)

• Thanks, Elizabeth. :)

• Shammie, I can imagine that Robin Buffet serving up breakfast. It must be fun to watch. :)

• Pearl, thanks. I'm back but hope to leave again semi-soon.. ish. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Steve, thanks very much. We did indeed. :)

• Jillsy, he's a beauty, eh? :)

• Daryl, I can hardly wait to see them. Zoom away! :)

Hilary said...

• Pierre, those are some fine photos. Thanks for pointing them out. :)

• Linda, the great blue heron has to be one of the most dignified birds out there, along with hawks and eagles. Even his little faux pas didn't do much to shake his pride. I could learn from him. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Thanks, Ellen. Very much appreciated. :)

• Thanks, MessyMimi. We sure did. :)

• Barbara, thank you. :)

• Frank, thanks. A few of the shots were in shadow but he moved into the sunlight very briefly and I got lucky. I'm glad you like them. :)

• Thanks very much, Keith. Much appreciated. :)

• BlueViolet, I'm glad it evoked a laugh. :)

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

• Beth, thanks very much. We've been there and back, and hope to head back again sometime soon. :)

• Suldog, aren't they just a lovely sight? They're a wonderful bird. Thanks always for stopping by. :)

• Pauline, I don't know why they're so elusive here but I've always found that to be so. I'll bet you enjoy watching that heron fish for slithering things. Thanks for your kind words. :)

• Thanks very much, Sue. You always have such kind things to say. :)

• Thank you, Don. :)

• Betty, thank you so much. Your kind words are always very much appreciated. :)

• Jayne, that would be a nifty sight for sure. :)

• Chip, the Cardinal is your state bird? According to Google, that narrows it down to seven states. He's a popular dude! Ahh but Chesapeake Bay narrows it down to just one. Our robins seem to be very bold the last couple of years. And very cooperative for the most part. Keep on trying. You'll get that perfect shot eventually. Thanks for the visit. :)

wayne15575 said...

They say it's the early bird that get the worm, but, it's the second mouse that gets the cheese.

Jenny Woolf said...

I think that red winged blackbird is so beautiful

Brandy Marie said...

Gorgeous photos!! I love the the Blue Heron, so graceful yet powerful. Amazing. Hope you have a good weekend_B

Dianne said...

I love the rock star hair cut on that sweet red bird
and the red winged black bird is wonderful!
I like the lines of the fence too

hell, I like everything you shoot

Tammie Lee said...

so many wonderful captures. I hope you are having a wonderful time away!

theconstantwalker said...

Lovely captures...many thanks for sharing.

SandyCarlson said...

These are incredible. Thank you, Hilary!

lime said...

love the heron and that cardinal. his crest really is impressive!

Friko said...

It really doesn't matter how often you post these wonderful pictures or the quotes, they are a delight every time.

bon bon said...

great shots! the quotes are pretty fantastic too. hee hee...

Hilary said...

• Wayne15575, I'll have to remember that if I get a good shot at a mouse. ;)

• Jenny, they're wonderful birds.. and their call is always my first true sign of spring. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Brandy Marie, thanks very kindly. I wish the same for you. :)

• Dianne, thank you so much, my friend. You never fail to bring a smile to my face. :)

• Tammie Lee, thanks very much. I'm back for now. :)

• Thank you, Andrew. I'm glad you enjoyed them. :)

• Sandy, thank YOU! :)

• Thanks, Lime. He's an incredible bird, eh? :)

• Friko, thank you so kindly. The photos are new.. just the quotes were recycled. :)

• Welcome, Bon Bon and thanks for the kind words. Very much appreciated. :)

Lisa said...

I think these are all amazing shots also .. Love the Dof and just everything about them.
Wonderful.

Hilary said...

Thanks very kindly, Lisa. It means a lot to me that you think so. :)

Lynette Killam said...

These are great shots, Hilary! I particularly like the cardinal...they were favourites of mine during my teenage years when I lived in Ontario. Sadly, they do not seem to favour our West Coast.

Have a wonderful week...:)

Hilary said...

Thanks very much Lynette. I'm glad you enjoyed them. :)