I had the chance to see the elusive Bohemian Waxwings converge in the past weeks. Now they are gone. From afar, they may evoke images from a Hitchcock movie:
But just a closer look would change your view… Avian Cirque du Soleil, acrobats of the sky:
Or… flight aesthetics, mesmerizing to behold:
I would have wanted a clear blue sky. But the grey offers a deeper fascination. These energetic Waxwings seem to defy the overcast dreariness, exuding a spirit and an aesthetics that colour cannot bring.
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Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books.
All photos taken by Arti of Ripple Effects, 2013. All Rights Reserved.
I regret the obtrusive watermarks. I could well have positioned them down in a corner to enhance aesthetics. But practicality took over… hopefully they are deterrents of copying.
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Ripple Effects 
It’s like an aerial ballet! Beautiful!
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Cathy,
I only saw them like this after I’d cropped the photos… yes, they look fantastic close up. You can still see the yellow tip of the tail in the last one.
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So graceful… gorgeous!
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Thanks, JoAnn. I must say they look better in photos.
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I like the title of your post…and you’re right about the grey being a great backdrop. Enjoy! And here’s MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT POST
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laurelrainsnow,
Also, I could have lightened them to make them look like purely black and white photos. But then they wouldn’t be authentic.
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Oh, how they dance like dark fairies in the sky! They gray is perfect! (Skip my post today — you won’t like it!)
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I opened it in the mail. Love the flower. 🙂
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Very nice!!!
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Thanks for stopping by, Ellen.
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Wow, those photos are beautiful! I especially love the third one. Those shapes are amazing!
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Rebecca,
They are each beautiful individually… that’s why they look so good together. Good to have you stop by the pond! 😉
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Arti, the waxwings, one of my favorite birds, flying together all avian Cirque de Soleil brought to mind my post on Emergence (and the sum is greater than the parts) sharing with you:
http://heddaplace.blogspot.com/2012/12/emergence_4.html#comment-form
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Hedda,
Interestingly, I think in this case it’s just the reverse… it’s when seeing them individually and close-up can we appreciate the beauty of them. As a whole, they look intimidating like in the Hitchcock movie. 😉
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They certainly look intimidating.
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Irene,
Really, in all of the photos? Mmm… I have similar feeling towards felines. 😉
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They look amazing close up, in flight! Thanks for sharing.
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Ali,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comment!
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I like that description: aerial ballet. So graceful. Those wings are really beautiful in flight. I’m sorry you’re having to watermark. Has the copying started already?
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nikkipolani,
I totally agree. That’s an apt description.
I’ve had a whole post copied (not ‘reblogged’) on another website before. And you know what, I found out some of my visitors are from Pinterest because several of my photos are there (and I don’t have a Pineterest account myself).
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I’m sorry about the copying. Takes some of the fun out of it. I used to watermark but it meant processing my photos in Lightroom rather than iPhoto. Though maybe with the influx of Pinterest…
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I use Picmonkey for the watermark. I edit just from my laptop with iPhoto.
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Such a gorgeous sight; well done.
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Thanks Diane for stopping by! 😉
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Nice captures. You’re right, the close ups make a huge difference. http://wordsandpeace.com/2013/04/12/france-book-tours/#comment-7105
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Sorry I left the wrong blog address. Here’s Mine
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I’ve never seen these birds in person, and really enjoyed your photos. Amazing close up shots!
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Melwyk,
Actually they are very far away. I used a tele lens but not a great one. So these photos are all cropped after I’ve uploaded them on my computer. Of course, a better lens would be much more gratifying, ie, without having to do editing.
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I love the second photo, where so many of the wings seem translucent. And their flight seems quite different than many of the birds I’ve watched. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is, but I think it might be the relationship between their shorter, stockier body and the wings.
Very lovely – and it took a second look to read your real title instead of “defying gravity”!
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Linda,
They look like they’re performing acrobatic feats, don’t they? It’s because they’re flapping their wings at different timing, without much order, unlike a group of Canada Geese. I find the Bohemian Waxwings are more individual and spontaneous, albeit gregarious. Actually the two enlarged shots are cropped from the first photo.
Yes, I like the second one because of the translucent wings too. They could be enhanced if I increase the exposure and lesson the shadow (thru editing) … to brighten it up. But I didn’t because I wanted to leave them as ‘authentic’ as possible.
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Beautiful! I’ve never seen so many together.
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Gavin,
Yes, it’s quite a sight and sound too… the buzzing and high-pitched trills can be heard from afar.
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Those waxwings are awesome and your photography continues to be amazing!
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Thanks, Stefanie! It’s been such a pleasure birding and taking photos of them. I’ve just started a new Spring Birdwatching Course… more coming. 😉
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They are beautiful, and your photo displays of them lovely and artistic!
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Alyce,
Thanks to you for hosting Saturday Snapshot, prompting me to explore and giving me a chance to share. 😉
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These images are just unbelievable! Fantastic – never seen anything like it!
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