Saturday Snapshot Oct. 5: Wabi-Sabi (3)

I’ll wrap up my mini-series on Wabi-sabi with these photos. Yes, I’m saving the best for last.

By this flood-damaged bridge:

Broken BridgeI came across a rare sighting, for me anyway. For those of you who live near the coast, a Pelican may be as common as a Sparrow, but for me who call the Rockies home, spotting one in our neck of the woods is exhilarating:

PelicanI quickly followed her with my camera from afar. Against a backdrop of debris and damaged bank, she performed a few dance moves for me:

Dance 1Dance 2Dance 3After that, she turned around and swam quietly into the mythical scenery:

Mythical scenery**

I went back a few days later and was gratified some more by these two Cedar Waxwings, chatting away in the afternoon sun, oblivious to the damaged landscape:

Cedar Waxwingsquietly enjoying each other’s company:

Cedar Waxings 1but best of all, looking out together:

Looking out together**

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy Reads. CLICK HERE to see what others have posted.

Previous posts:

Wabi-sabi (1)

Wabi-sabi (2)

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All photos taken by Arti of Ripple Effects, August, 2013.

DO NOT COPY OR REBLOG.

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Published by

Arti

If she’s not birding by the Pond, Arti’s likely watching a movie, reading, or writing a review. Creator of Ripple Effects, bylines in Asian American Press, Vague Visages, Curator Magazine.

38 thoughts on “Saturday Snapshot Oct. 5: Wabi-Sabi (3)”

  1. Gasp. I’m just sayin’ — gasp big time! That last photo of the pelican (rare, indeed) with wings spread is to die for, and so, too are all of the waxwings. I love how the spread wings seem to welcome the light! Oh, Arti, how very beautiful they are. And all the more beautiful that life has come back to your river.

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    1. Jeanie,

      I just learned that the American White Pelican is an endangered species in Alberta, for some years, not sure if they are still. It’s one of the largest birds, with a wing span of 9 ft. So you can see why I was so excited.

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  2. Love to see how nature moves on immediately from events we think devastating. And amidst such context, we notice more readily the beauty in the world. Nature inspiring us to see the miracles of life.

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  4. Nice! I upload photos to my photography blog almost daily so a Saturday snapshot on the book blog would be overkill. I love the idea though 🙂

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  6. Odd the pelican being there! Glad he was though for you! Growing up in FL. they are very common for me. My cousin caught one once when fishing. That was a hoot trying to get the hook out of his mouth while he struggled but he was okay and flew away! I adore your bird shots!

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    1. Peggy Ann,

      The American White Pelicans used to be an endangered species here, not sure if they are still. We have lots of Gulls, Mallards, and Geese, but seldom do I see Pelicans. Must be nice growing up along the coast.

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  8. Thanks for your beautiful bird shots. We have pelicans that stop by the water here in NE Wyoming on their way to somewhere else. It always give me a thrill, because they definitely are not a native waterfowl. We are used to Canadian Geese and Mallard ducks. 🙂

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    1. Judy,

      Guess we share some mutual avian visitors… albeit at different times. Now most migratory have started flying south. I’m sure you’ll get a lot of them from our neck of the woods soon. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comment. Hope to hear from you again. 😉

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  9. I do love your wabi-sabi photos, posts and ethos. I was surprised that your Pelican was white. I’ve seen the Brown Pelican in Texas, and didn’t know of the American White Pelican til just now when I googled it- there are eight pelicans worldwide, and I’ve seen three. Hmmm, always more to see. Wiki says that they breed inland, and as far north as Northern Alberta and the NWT, so I guess it was on the way back to the coast from a breeding areas. Ours breed inland as well, and while I’ve mainly seen them on the coast, I have seen them inland too, or flying overhead while inland- they’re quite unmistakeable. I do love those waxwings- such beautiful birds, they’re on my wishlist.

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    1. Louise,

      At first I didn’t know if it was a Swan or a Pelican. Yes, this is the American White Pelicans. After that I saw a few others in another locale of the same river miles away. They are migratory, of course, and you just may be absolutely right that they’re passing through to warmer climates. Waxwings, I’ve seen quite a few. Always glad to see them. Such silky plumage.

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  10. Stunning shots of the waxwing in flight…
    I was a part of a rescue of a pelican caught in fishing line in a nearby reservoir last spring. His feet were caught in discarded fishing line. Sadly, he didn’t survive. These shots remind me of beautiful they are and it’s so sad the fishermen don’t respect them. I know they eat the fish, but it is no excuse for the cruelty of leaving around tangled lines.
    Loved this series…

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    1. Michelle,

      O just too bad for that Pelican caught in fishing lines. Our river here is relatively quite, free from fishermen. Yes I sometimes see some wade deep into the wide river. They all look conscientious. And for us, fishing is such a short duration in the year in our cold climate. Talking about cold climate, it sure feels like winter is arriving much sooner for us this year. Do you still remember… cold climate? 😉

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  14. How wonderful for you to see a pelican – how exciting it always is! Here’s a little map that shows their distribution. It looks to me as though you’re right on the line between their summer digs and where they gather for migration.

    If you look at the Texas Gulf Coast, you’ll see that they’re common here in winter. In fact, when the migration comes wheeling in, it can be utterly astounding – imagine a hundred or more of these birds in a group, all wheeling high above.

    Who knows? Maybe your beautiful dancing pelican will be one that comes to Texas! I’ve not seen a single one yet. It’s a little early, but when the north winds begin to blow in earnest, they’ll ride them down.

    As for the waxwings – what can I say? Your photography is superb, and they’re some of the most beautiful subjects imaginable.

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    1. Linda,

      Thanks for the info. And I’m glad to know that, I live in the summer resort and you the winter harbour for the Pelican. Yes, that was in August that I saw a few Pelicans, there and another spot on the same river. Another time I caught on camera one flying in the sky too, looking for fish in the water. They are so remarkable, considering the 9 ft. wingspan. As for the Waxwings, I’ve seen quite a few of them, less rare in this area, but by now I think they have begun migrating already. So maybe in future Sat. Snapshot I’ll post some fall photos.

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  15. Arti, that very first shot of the pelican swimming, it seems so surreal it almost looks fake. I love those dance move shots! The waxwings look beautiful, too, especially the first one where it looks like one is smiling as it “talks” to the other.

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    1. lameadventures,

      It’s a bit surreal isn’t it, a concrete pillar and a Pelican swimming nearby. Too bad I was so far away on the other side of the bank, or else I would have captured much clearer and closer images. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts.

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    1. Stefanie,

      Glad I caught that in pic. I went back there another time and one just flew by above my head. I’ll share those pics in the future. But right now, have to catch up with blogging. 😉

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  18. More wonder in your photos, Arti. I love those Waxwings against the blue skies. They are almost like paintings on silk. And congrats on capturing the pelican visits (they are quite numerous here on our coast).

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