Photography – Page 12 – Ripple Effects

Sign of Spring: Nesting

Here are my photos for Saturday Snapshot April 20.

Spring is always a slow emergence for us. There’s still snow on some trails, and no green leaves or flowers for another month. But a sure sign of spring is birds nesting.

Canada Geese scouting for nesting spots and guarding them closely:

And here’s one well nestled inside a tree:

This one just wants to show off as spring spirit unfurls.

Remember the Papa Great Horned Owl I spotted a month ago? Just last week I saw Mama Owl nesting in the cavity of a dead tree, poking out just enough for me to take her picture. Other birdwatchers told me there were several young ones. Hopefully soon I’ll get to see them come out.

But nothing compares to the utter joy of seeing the Great Blue Herons yesterday. I had never thought I would see them right here in Alberta. But I found them following some directions to their nests, had to watch them from afar though as we were separated by The Bow River:

About a dozen nests high up on the trees:

My patience paid off as I waited and finally saw the Herons come out of their nests. Just to stretch their legs:

Again, from afar, they were black against the pale blue sky, too far for me to see clearly. Not until after I uploaded onto my computer and cropped them could I see a bit of their details. They look magical, albeit still blurry.

And yes, they are blue:

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Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. Click Here to see what others have posted.

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Saturday Snapshot March 23: Bohemian Waxwings

I came looking for them… Bohemian Waxwings, nomadic passerines, and I wasn’t disappointed. From a distance, I could hear their calls even before seeing them, buzzing, chirping, echoing, convivial. Flocks of them, maybe even a couple hundreds.

From a distance, I could see them congregate on tree tops, the sight could not match the sound. If not with intention, one could well dismiss them from afar, those ‘blackbirds’ on the trees, common sight, right?

But no. A closer look could tell they’re not ordinary at all. Their pose is elegant. And they’re not blackbirds. Here’s just a small corner of a tree, reminiscence of images on quilts and tapestry:

And a little more up close, one could sense their gregarious and convivial nature:

Not until I went home, uploaded and cropped the photos could I see their silky plumage, fine and translucent, their pointed crest, the colourful markings on the wings, the yellow-tipped tails:

Because of their nomadic nature, they can be here today, gone tomorrow. No wonder… they’re one of the birds included in the bucket list book: 100 Birds to See Before You Die.

1 down, 99 to go…

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Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. CLICK HERE to see what others have posted.

Saturday Snapshot March 9: Great Horned Owl

Since I started birding last September, yesterday was the first time I saw an owl. Thanks to two ladies walking in the area pointing me to this Great Horned Owl.

Look how well he camouflaged himself on the tree. I wouldn’t have sighted him by myself. Can you see an owl on the tree?

I must have walked 180° around him to shoot from all sides just to get a clear view. Here’s the back, see how well he blended with the tree?

A closer front view, eyes wide shut in the late afternoon. Of course, it was sleeping time for him:

Half an hour later I went back there, hoping to catch him open his eyes for me. But no, he teased me with just a slit:

No matter. It was a great sighting for me. And I know where to find them now. Apparently, this is father owl and his family is famous in the birding community. They even have their own WEBPAGE.

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See Mama Owl nesting in this post.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. Do click on the link to see what others have posted.

Saturday Snapshot February 23: Intrigued

Two weeks ago I posted Saturday Snapshot February 9: Flying. There I had three photos of a Red-shafted Northern Flicker in a flying sequence. My understanding is that the Red-Shafted Flicker is found in the west, while the Yellow-Shafted one in the eastern part of North America.

Well, I haven’t shown you the larger picture on that Feb. 9 post. Here let me zoom out and show you a larger view:

See the two flickers? One Red, one Yellow (look at the tail). How can that be?

Again, the Red-Shafted Northern Flicker:

and the Yellow-Shafted Northern Flicker:

Could the Yellow be a hybrid? Looking back at the first photo, its tail is tri-color there. But here, there’s only yellow.

I went back to my camera… am I even looking at the same bird here? Or were there a Red, a Yellow, and a Hybrid?

No matter, I’m all intrigued with seeing them together.

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Thanks to Alyce of At Home With Books for hosting Saturday Snapshots, prodding me to get out of the house to explore what nature has to offer… even in the middle of February.

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A Thought for Valentine’s

Beginning this year, I started subscribing to a daily piece of meditation from The Henri Nouwen Society. Here’s the one for Saturday, January 19. As Valentine’s Day draws near, I feel this is most apt:

Creating Space to Dance Together

When we feel lonely we keep looking for a person or persons who can take our loneliness away. Our lonely hearts cry out, “Please hold me, touch me, speak to me, pay attention to me.” But soon we discover that the person we expect to take our loneliness away cannot give us what we ask for. Often that person feels oppressed by our demands and runs away, leaving us in despair. As long as we approach another person from our loneliness, no mature human relationship can develop. Clinging to one another in loneliness is suffocating and eventually becomes destructive. For love to be possible we need the courage to create space between us and to trust that this space allows us to dance together.

— Henri Nouwen

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Photo: Bow Valley Ranch, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Alberta. Taken by Arti of Ripple Effects, November, 2012.

Upcoming Post:

Feb. 15, Bonhoeffer Read-along Part 1, Ch. 1-18 (Or any part of it)

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Saturday Snapshot Feb. 9: Flying

I only started birdwatching in September last year. In these short few months I’ve come to discover the three levels of joy in birding.

First is the pleasure of sighting a species I’ve never seen before. Then it’s taking photos of birds perching or staying still. The most gratifying is to capture them in flight and when I come home and upload the photos onto my laptop, find them relatively in focus.

This past week, I’d the pure joy of finding the Red-Shafted Northern Flicker again, and photographing its take-off and landing.

Here is a series of shots:

No words needed.

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Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. CLICK HERE to see what others have posted. Again, thanks Alyce for motivating me to get out of the house, walk and shoot, even in minus temperatures.

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PREVIEW OF UPCOMING POSTS:

FEB. 12: A Valentine’s Meditation

FEB. 15: Bonhoeffer Read-Along First Post, Chapters 1-18
(Look forward to reading your thoughts so far)

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Saturday Snapshot Jan. 26: Winter Birding

The sun and the birds are the main reasons for going into the woods in January. These are common birds for us, but catching a good photo of them is always a challenge. That’s when the common becomes a joy.

The Northern Flicker, I know where they hang out. And they’re not too hard to photo when perching or pecking.

But what I’ve been aiming for is when they fly, I can shoot from below, for the orange underwing is beautiful. I’ve spent frustrating hours wading and standing in deep snow just to wait for such a moment. Here’s a semi-successful one.

This is my first photo of a Common Redpoll. Look at her demure pose.

This Red-Breasted Nuthatch is easy. She comes near me as if to greet a friend:

And for all ye squirrel lovers, here’s another one, too oblivious to be bothered by me taking pictures of her (him?) having breakfast. Look at the open mouth:

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Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. CLICK HERE to see what others have posted.

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Saturday Snapshot January 19

Winter in snow country. Here are some photos I took while trying out my new camera, a Nikon D5100. No editing has been done here, not even cropping.

I admit these are the more successful ones. There are lots that I’m not satisfied, with capturing light and focusing. Still figuring out how to use it, especially for birds. If you’re familiar with this camera, do let me know what’s the best settings for flying objects, identified or not.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. CLICK HERE to see what others have posted.

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Saturday Snapshot: Life in the Snow

Some of you may still have roses in your garden and lush green lawn, but here in my neck of the woods, this is what we’re having… Exactly, with the snow falling.

But what did I find while birding recently? The woods teeming with life as in the summer sun. Take this buck, our curiosity is mutual:

Or this Blue Jay flying overhead:

This Pileated Woodpecker busy at work:

Or this Black-capped Chickadee having fun:

Or this Red-breasted Nuthatch lounging on two branches:

Woodpeckers, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Robins, Blue Jays, Finches… They don’t migrate, but stay put and enjoy life where they are, even in deep winter when temperatures can easily dip below -20C. This is their hood.

It’s me who want to fly away to somewhere warm.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. Do click on the link to explore snapshots from other bloggers.

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Saturday Snapshot Nov.10: A New Gravatar

After a few years of using the blue ripples as my Gravatar, recently I’ve created a new one. It combines several of my interests… at present. I designed the set and took the photo in a mini makeshift ‘studio’, a little corner on a desk.

This Gravatar depicts pages rippling in fight, the soaring power of words. From the symbolic to the actual, most noticeable in the background is my bird book, guide to a new-found passion.

Underneath the pages in flight is Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. While Hemingway may not be my favorite writer, the title of this book is significant, albeit you can’t see it here. Less noticeable is the screenplay I’m writing at the base of the pile. Can you see the brad? And oh, the title of the open book? Roger Ebert’s memoir Life Itself.

Books, films, birds and screenplay in progress… a moveable feast.

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Thanks to Alyce of At Home With Books for hosting Saturday Snapshot.

Posts you may like:

A Moveable Feast by Earnest Hemingway

Roger Ebert in Toronto: A Close Encounter

Saturday Snapshot Oct. 27: Birds in the Snow

Yes, it’s snow for us all this week. A strong taste of early winter. But the birds don’t seem to mind. Here they are, Robins hanging out:

This is the attraction… juicy fruits:

But some are just born to work:

With so much food around, I’d rather be a slacker:

Now, roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of winter…

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Thanks to Alyce of At Home With Books for hosting Saturday Snapshot.

Saturday Snapshot: Gliding Into The Sunset

On Thanksgiving Monday (Canada, Oct. 8), I stopped by Iona Beach in Richmond, B.C. On the smooth water illuminated in a golden hue were Mallards gliding into the sunset.

The common Sparrow too was swept in an amber tone. In that frame, nothing seemed common anymore.

And finally, I saw the sun slide down the distant sky. What a sight to wrap up Thanksgiving. If anything’s common… it’s common grace.

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Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books.

A Note About These Photos: No colours had been added nor saturation altered in any of them.