Western Bluebirds

I’ve been dreaming of warmer and sunnier times lately, and so I’ve gone back to work on some old images that I never got around to processing. These are pictures of Western Bluebirds that I found while on a trip with my Dad just outside of Winfield, BC (North of Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley).

These are beautiful little birds that shimmer in the sun. They are very curious and easy to spot, but you have to know where to look… I’ve learned a lot about Bluebirds by searching for Mountain Bluebirds in the foothills South East of Calgary. I was quite surprised to discover that the Western variety are extremely similar in both appearance and habit. It was a thoroughly enjoyable trip and I’m looking forward to next spring and summer when I’ll get to go on another Bluebird search!

Western Bluebirds

Bales in Black and White

I posted several pictures of some hay bales the other day. The main reason I was attracted to that particular field, and to those particular images, was because of the vivid colors of the field and the sky. But after processing them something made me think that they might look really good in black and white. So I converted them all and I’m really excited about the new images that I was able to create!

I don’t do a lot of black and white photography, but every once in awhile certain images lend themselves to it. I don’t necessarily think that all of these images look better in Black and White than they do in color, but I really like them. This is a simple reminder or me that there are almost always several ways to make every image look great, and that experimentation can be lots of fun!

Bales in Black and White

Bales in Black and White

Bales in Black and White

Round Bales in Morning Light

I’ve seen this field of hay bales many times recently and I was really looking for a good opportunity to make some nice images. It always seemed that I was in a rush as I passed by and never had time to stop. I finally made an opportunity to stop one morning just before sunrise. The soft morning light was amazing and I could have spent hours there if the lighting conditions had held up longer.

Round Bales in Morning Light

Round Bales in Morning Light

Round Bales in Morning Light

Round Bales in Morning Light

A Bluejay with a mouthful for baby!

This is just a preview of 100′s of images I made this morning at my friends house. The eggs in the Blue Jay nest that I was invited to see last week hatched this week! My friends invited me back to see the babies in action. Mom and Dad were steadily coming back with their mouths full of food for the nestlings and I was able to get an extreme close-up (bird’s eye) view!

A pair of Nesting Bluejays share a Meal

I was visiting a friends house today and discovered that they have a pair of Bluejays nesting in their backyard. I immediately sat down to watch and take some pictures. It was very cool to watch! There was always one bird on the nest while the other was off hunting. Every so often the hunter would return to share its meal with the nesting bird.

Bluejay on the Nest

A pair of Nesting Bluejays share a Meal

A pair of Nesting Bluejays share a Meal

A Bluejay returning to its Nest

A pair of Nesting Bluejays share a Meal

Bluejay on the Nest