This post goes for 'Show me a photo (of a bird)' contest, round #149. Week's topic was 'Bird and Twigs'.
Most of the time, birds hide among the branches and twigs and leaves... and said twigs usually spoil the photo, making it difficult to see well the bird itself. But of course there are exceptions; when twigs look beautiful on their own and become an interesting part of the photo.
Can you see here a birdie, at all? (Coot duck is sitting in his nest, well hided among the branches).
In the capture below (firstly it was intended to go as a cover for this blog)...
... the coot duck is not standing on a pile of garbage, no way - these carefully collected reed stems and twigs are the nest in progress... which the coot protects from its neighbors - Crested ducks - whose nest is nearby. Apparently they have intense rivalry for the best construction materials.
I already displayed this photo three years ago, but it perfectly illustrates today’s topic, so I’ll add it to my post again for a reason: coot duck collected twig for its nest.
This is a very memorable picture for me, which I have not shared with you yet... because, let's face the truth: the photo was not too much success. (I did six takes on that day, and wasn't happy with a single one). I encountered a little waxwings flock arrived to explore the viburnum bush for berries. In the recent years it was the only time I saw them - and even had my camera and telephoto lens with me! However, the waxwings took such a precautionary position inside the viburnum bush, while feasting on berries, that it was not possible to get any closer and take a high-quality photo of the bird at all - twigs covered and protected the birds from my lens from any angle I tried, hehe. 😜 But still - it turned out to be a magnificent photo of the bush itself... Perfect fit for the current prompt, isnt it??!
A thrush chick in the pine branches.
A tit.
Starlings are always my best-posing and cooperative models.
(Not counting in pigeons, ofc). But unlike pigeons, they work for free and never claim money or food in exchange for their service, they work for a pure love to the art!
Starling at the appletree. It was may 2020; he was singing, and listening to his joyful song of spring, and birdie happiness.