This Spring, Birds and Buds--Add yours

Beautiful day today--all taken today!

Feel free to add any new spring pictures here, or start your own thread!













And I had to look this one up in the bird book-- Meadowlark

Great framing and tack-sharp subject - even a catchlight in his(?) eye. Very nice.

I posted some more bluebirds below since I have a lot of pictures of them this year. The one in the OP just happened to have been taken today. I was trying to get across that this was shirtsleeve weather here today, clear and sunny.

I grabbed my camera 10 min ago and this is what I found blooming.


As I checked this I saw your birds again. Just wonderful.
I'm training mine to come to my yard, front and back has numerous feeders and bird baths.
And then I'll invite you to come and take their pictures.:)

Can't wait to see all your backyard birds.......generally I combine my bird pictures with taking a walk in the park. My head is in the air, though, and I have been known to step in holes and off the asphalt path! The one time I had a bird feeder out some birds ended up nesting near it and then one of the babies drowned in our pool. So, no more bird feeder here, though I could put one in the front yard I suppose.

If you guys like bluebirds I just have tons of pictures of them this year. Even though the photo isn't as good, I was most happy getting a picture of a meadowlark. If you could have heard it singing that might have made a difference.

I took these last weekend at the Tennessee River. I'm a huge bluebird fan and all, but that was my first meadowlark picture. Meadowlarks are large birds. I would say that one was bigger than a bluejay.

This one is about as near as I can get to buds so far:

The trees will have leaves in no time. (That's why I have to do the bird pictures now, before they hide in the leaves.)

:)Here's one about 6 blocks from my place........

I have to say a lot of my favorite bud picture came from a neighbor's yard. I love to take photos of plants but not much of a green thumb here. :rofl:

I am so ready for spring after our coldest winter in decades. I hope everyone is getting in the mood for posting spring photos........

We have a rooster, don't know the type, take up residence in the oak tree which fans over the top of our home.

Does it wake you up every morning? Our next door neighbors had a pet rooster for awhile, and we weren't that sad when a hawk got it.

Roosters can be really colorful and pretty, and yours is no exception. I hope you are early birds anyway and can just enjoy the rooster.

Your picture is an example of trying to take pictures of birds when the leaves are on the trees, although in your case you actually did a good job. But I need to get my fill of birds in the next ten days or so...........

Thankfully he is on the side of the house without the bedrooms (we have a double shotgun home). I am not sure if he is a pet that escaped, this is NOLA, so anything is possible. He does "talk" to another rooster in the neighborhood though.

It was difficult getting a good shot not only because of the leaves, but the distance. The tree is pretty high so I had to use my "telephoto" (:rofl:) lens (i.e. Olympus camera "tight" view). I had some other shots but the camera focused on the leaves or branches.

(Sorry. I couldn't resist the title.)

I love spring! Thanks for this sprig.

I've read about larks, but have never seen one before. Do meadow larks sing?


----------------------

Were you prone on the ground when you took the picture, or are the ferns that big?

Here are part of the lyrics from "On the Street Where You Live" from "My Fair Lady"

"I have often walked on this street before,
But the pavement always stayed beneath my feet before

................

Can you hear a lark in any other part of town?
No it's just on the street where you live."

I had never heard the lark sing (that I recall), but it was the song of that lark that first attracted me to the tree. What's THAT? I can't describe it and probably wouldn't recognize it again, but it was beautiful and different. Most other birds sound good because they are part of a cacophony of bird sounds. But this lark was singing alone, and the result was definitely catching my attention.

I have to say I am not that great at bird identification, but SOUNDS? Are you kidding me? I don't know any bird sounds. I gave up on that when I learned a mockingbird could sound like any of them (good excuse).

I was crouching down, pretty close to the ground. The ferns are probably knee high, or maybe a bit taller.

My Fair Lady is a good movie. I need to re-read Pygmalion. It's been a few years.


---------------------------

This is simply gorgeous. I would like to see a little less light on the top, my eye wants to wander off the page when it needs to stay on the light and dark green interaction. I'd like to see the dark green tip gone.

I see exactly what you are saying. Yes, the eye does wander off the page, doesn't it? I'd re-crop it for you if I weren't so tired but I think I need to go to sleep soon. I will keep what you have said in mind for next time.

---------------