Thursday, September 29, 2011

Wing Pairs

Below are a few pairs of images, each sporting a pair of wings. They were all taken up at the cottage earlier in September. I hope you enjoy them.



mr blue5
One morning, we glanced out the window to see a large figure sailing through the air, just above the surface of the lake. Mr. Blue landed on the dock. He squawked a few times and had a good look around.




mr blue by the boat2
Thankfully, he waited around while I made my way outside to snap a few photos. He obliged me with a few glances my way, while he walked along the dock and took off just before he made his way to the shoreline.




blue jay wind
Another blue beauty, this blue jay found the bird seed on this fairly windy day. I liked the way his feathers were all ruffled by the wind.




blue jay
Another blue jay at a different feeding post.




dragonfly golden
A lovely dragonfly with gold-tipped wings and a red body, which isn't visible in this image.




dragonfly shoulder
But it is in this one. This magical winged creature was resting on Frank's cozy shoulder. Having rested my own head in that same, general vicinity, I can't say that I blame him one bit.




kingfisher
For a few days, we were hearing and spotting a Kingfisher around the cottage. They're quite elusive though, and it seemed that every time it realized I was aware of it, it would take off before I could snap a photo. Except for this time. He flew into the bay to the right of the dock. I never saw where it landed and I used my camera as binoculars to scan the trees on the opposite side of the bay. A few seconds later he was filling up my viewfinder, giving me just enough time to snap this shot.




kingfisher taking off
And then one more as he took off once again.




<span class=
Last but not least, a solitary image of a sky which appeared to sprout wings of its own as the sun took flight for the night.

56 comments:

Brian Miller said...

cool captures hilary...i like the dragonfly pics the best....nice perspective

Anonymous said...

Oh, you are so lucky to see the heron up this close! Such fabulous shots - as usual.

CorvusCorax12 said...

wonderful pictures

Cricket said...

I have never seen a heron walk. Flying or in the water. That's all. I say when cameras become available as implants, will you be first in line?

A day to visit, not to write, for me. The only posts in my head for now are political, and I'm not in the mood. As much as I write about politics, I rarely enjoy it. Throw me a prompt if you like ;-)

Hope all has been well. I'm still struggling to make a return. Where is Autumn? I depend on the cold weather for a burst of energy and renewal. So far, nothing.

And your soundtrack? Hm. It's probably just this morning, but I call Michael Hedges Aerial Boundaries.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

We have some blue herons in the river behind our house, they are so shy I am amazed you got these pics!

Anonymous said...

Mr Blue looks as though he is considering going for a boat ride.

Dianne said...

I love the big angry looking guy at top
and the dragonfly on Frank's shoulder is so sweet

Out on the prairie said...

Very nice shots. It is hard to get those kngfishers, I sat on a log jam in the middle of a river for 45 min. just to get a few blurs.

Sueann said...

Absolutely stunning
Hugs
SueAnn

Tabor said...

Great photos and thanks for the journey. I have tried for years to get a good photo of our kingfishers and never come close...even with my telephoto! Wonderful sunset!!

TexWisGirl said...

lovely! great shots of the GBH!!!

and i always love a good 'fly bye' shot. :)

Leah J. Utas said...

Wonderful stuff, Hilary. And the winged sunset is magnificent.

ellen abbott said...

Love the great blue. Blue seemed to be the color of the moment except for the sun a d dragonfly.

Daryl said...

Super ... and the guy in the first shots? His twin, along with a duplicate dock/pier, are over at MissingMoments ...

Slamdunk said...

Thanks for warming my morning Hilary. The kingfisher shots are my fav.

Lisa said...

Your photos are absolutely gorgeous.
That Sunset is Breathtaking

Anyes said...

The beautiful animals you captured with your camera always make me appreciate nature's beauty, and your sunset leaves me speechlees. Thank you Hilary :-)

Kristina P. said...

These are lovely, Hilary.

messymimi said...

Every sunset is unique, but this one amazed me.

Reena said...

I always enjoy your discoveries at the cabin. And that sunset is so gorgeous!

Red said...

Great topic ...wings. Birds are hard to photograph. You've done an excellent job.
Dragonflies are completely underestimated. There are so many different species. They are absolutely beautiful as your photos illustrate.

Kerry said...

I'm surprised that the birdseed wasn't blown off the stump with that amount of wind, but what a neat and unusual shot of a jay.

The dragonfly is magical.

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

Wonderful shot of the belted kingfisher. And the last image of the sunset...just amazing...and with a nice poetic caption.

Anvilcloud said...

The heron pics are great. As are the others, I hasten to add.

photowannabe said...

That sunset is simply beautish-is.
Can't help it, that is the word that fits it.
Love the Kingfisher in flight and the jay all ruffled.
always a pleasure coming here Hilary.

Anonymous said...

Love them all but the bluejay and dragonfly really jumped out at me!

Rosaria Williams said...

The last image will linger with me for a long time. Gorgeous.

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

WoW...and even the sky had wings!!! Your pictures were just spectacular.

God bless and have a terrific Thursday sweetie! :o)

Cloudia said...

your blue heaven!


thanks for sharing it.



Warm Aloha from Waikiki;

Comfort Spiral


> < } } ( ° >



><}}(°>

< ° ) } } > <

Ruth Hiebert said...

Lovely wing shots,including the sky.

SandyCarlson said...

I love the ruffled feathers of the jay! He looks vulnerable like these guys never do.

You have some amazing photos here.

Redbush said...

Ah! I love the sunset! It's gorgeous! The heron is absolutely a prince!

yaya said...

Hilary, you are the queen of capture! Great bird shots and that sunset is awesome!

Anonymous said...

ohh such an alive sunset ♥

25BAR said...

It's always nice to see a heron by the water, especially early in the morning.

Pierre BOYER said...

Gorgeous....

Pierre

wayne15575 said...

What an awesome set of photos Hilary. Thanks so much for sharing.

Indrani said...

That is a wonderful theme. Great shots.

Jax said...

That last picture really took me for a suprise! Beautiful :) Thanks for sharing! You have quite a talent.

Lynne with an e said...

It's such a privilege and treat to see these critters up close. I think Mr. Blue is that rare bird, a Hammy Heron, always ready for his close-up. The markings on the jay are so pretty. It always amazes me, the patterns found on wings. Great how you managed to catch the shimmer of the dragonfly's wings, and the kingfisher taunting you with hide and seek. A glorious ending to this post, watching the sun go down.

Shammickite said...

You have your camera ready at all times, Hilary, and you certainly capture some marvellous images with it. I love the pictures of the heron. I see them fishing and flying around in our local pond all the time but they never get very close.... well, not for me anyway, maybe you should come to visit, they may want their picture taken if they know you are nearby!!!

Barb said...

What a gift that sunset is! I love the heron's yellow eye, too. Have fun at the lake, Hillary. PS Wouldn't mind having a dragonfly pin!

sage said...

All nice shots!

Hilary said...

* Thank you, Brian. They're such amazing creatures and for me, ususally difficult to photograph. :)

* Fi, thank you. I do feel very lucky to have many encounters with Mr. Blue - at home, at Frank's place and up at his cottage. Thanks for the visit. :)

* Thank you, Twain. :)

* Cricket if you see herons in the water, chances are they're walking. ;) They are wonderful creatures to watch, for sure and I feel very lucky to encounter them as often as I do. My prompt for you is the same as always.. kidlet-isms. You've collected some beauties over the time that I've known you, and I know others would just love them too. Thanks always for the soundtrack - that's such a fun part of your visits. And it will cool down soon enough.. too soon for me. Thanks for stopping by, my friend. :)


* Gary, they are indeed shy birds but with a long lens and slow, quiet steps, they tend to stick around long enough for a few decent shots. :)


* Di, yes he sure does but he took to the sky instead. Thanks for the visit. :)


* Thanks, Dianne. The big guy is a bit of a grump when he has to share his space but the fishing is good so he sticks around. :)


* Thank you, Steve. They are incredibly elusive and it was sheer luck that I happened to focus on him at the right time. As soon as he saw me, he took off, as you can see. Thanks for stopping by. :)


* Thanks, Sue Ann. :)


* Thanks, Tabor. They are tricky birds for sure. I was very lucky to get these shots. A rarity for me. :)


* Good one, Tex. Thanks always for the kind words. :)


* Thanks so much, Leah. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I know how you appreciate Nature's best. :)


* Thanks, Ellen and that's true. We were surrounded by blue-coloured birds on that visit. :)


* Thank you, Daryl. I'll have to head over to Reena's blog to see. I'm slow to catch up, these days. :)


* Thank you, Slamdunk. So kind of you to say. :)


* Thanks so much, Lisa. I'm glad you think so. :)


* Thank YOU, Anyes. Your kind words are always very much appreciated. :)


* Thanks very much, Kristina. :)


* Thank you, MessyMimi. There are so many amazing sunsets at that cottage. Each evening is such a treat. :)


* Reena, thanks. I never tire of the beauty up there. :)


* Red, thanks kindly. I agree with you about the beauty of dragonflies. They are among my favourite creatures, which is saying a lot since they're insects and I'm not overly fond of most of those. :)


* Kerry, thank you. Much of the seed was indeed blown off and there were chipmunks enjoying the spillage. I'll have those photos in another post. ;)

Hilary said...

* Linda, my friend, I thank you kindly. I'm always pleased when you enjoy my photos. :)


* Thank you, AC. I'm glad that you think so. :)


* Thanks so much, Sue. I quite like that word and might just have to use it myself sometime. :)


* Robin, thank you. Those creatures each have a way of doing that. :)


* Thank you, Rosaira. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)


* Thanks so much, Nezzy. Your kind words are very much appreciated. :)


* Cloudia, thanks for joining me. :)


* Thank you, Ruth. I'm glad you think so. :)


* Sandy, that's true. They usually appear anything but vulnerable and more like intimidating. Thanks for stopping by with your always-kind words. :)


* Thanks so much, Redbush. He's quite the royal beauty. :)


* Yaya, you're too kind. Thank you for that. :)


* Christine, I'm glad you like it. :)


* 25Bar, they're day-makers and I totally agree. Thanks for stopping by. :)


* Pierre, merci beaucoup. :)


* Wayne, thank you so kindly. :)


* Thanks, Indrani. I'm glad you enjoyed them. :)


* Welcome, Little Ms. Fun and thanks so much for the kind words. They're very much appreciated. :)


* Louciao, thank you for your always entertaining comments. It pleases me that you enjoy each of the photos like this. Much appreciated. :)


* Shammie, I wasn't very far from your neck of the woods the other day. We headed over to Uxbridge for a few hours. I thought about you when I realized we weren't too far from Stouffville. Thanks for the kind words.. and you're right. I almost always have the camera with me. ;)


* Thank you, Barb. It does look as if Frank is wearing a pin, doesn't it? :)


* Thank you, Sage. :)

Karen said...

Hilary, that sunset took my breath away. Wow. And I love the squawking heron. Great shot of the kingfisher. Wonder why they are so elusive?

ds said...

Love that heron. He absolutely believes he owns the dock! You are amazing in your ability to capture birds through your lens. And the sunset? Spectacular.
Thank you.

Dawn said...

I absolutely love the blue beauties...and the head on of Mr.Dragonfly.
And as for the winged-sky...magnificent!

Shrinky said...

Oh Hilary, you and your camera are so at one with nature, I have no idea how you always manage to capture these perfect shots, they are stunning. That heron looks close enough to eat from your hand, and the dragonfly close up took my breath away.

Jayne said...

My gosh, Hilary, you're a wonder at shooting these creatures. The colors, the lighting, are beautiful.:D

Betty Manousos said...

absolutely stunning, Hilary!
thanks for this inspiring post. :)
i loved all the photos here. it's really hard to pick a favourite.

!great close-ups as well!

have a great weekend!

Hilary said...

* Karen, thanks kindly. They're just a very shy bird and I find them very difficult to photograph because of it. Thanks for the visit. :)

* Thank you, DS. You're too kind. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. And that heron knows he owns the whole joint. At least that's what he'd have you believe. ;)

* Thanks so much, Dawn. Very much appreciated. :)

* Shrinky, thank you so much for your always-kind words. I was actually pretty far from the heron but I had the help of a wonderful lens. Thank you for stopping by. :)

* Jayne, thanks very much. Your kind words mean a lot to me. :)

* Betty, you always have such nice things to say and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Well, I'll try ... VERY MUCH! Thanks so kindly. :)

Anonymous said...

Still envious of your heron photos! But that last one took my breath away!

Hilary said...

Thanks, Barbara. I'm so pleased that you enjoyed them. :)

Kerri Farley said...

~ Wonderful ~

Unknown said...

I like your mention of the sun seemingly taking flight! A fun outing! :)