spring colors

Spring Colors

May 8, 2013

Lew picked this week's Headbanger's theme.  We are going with "Spring Colors."  Check out my  pals for their interpretations on this theme: Fishing Guy, Katney, Imac and Lew.

For me, Forsythia is what does it.  It has become to me the official announcement that Spring has arrived.  This started some years ago when I learned that the right time to put the first application of lawn product is when you see the Forsythia bloom in the same region.  That's how you know what's happening under the turf with the insidious Crabgrass, and you can catch it before it grows up and chokes out the good grasses like Fescue, Rye and Kentucky Bluegrass.  I used a polarizing filter for the header shot, because I wanted to show the deep blue in the sky in contrast to the gorgeous Forsythia in full bloom.
 

Spring offers a lot of options for this theme, and here are some other ideas.  I hope you like them.

a neighbor's tulips just before sunset

a pretty pixie hides among paper flowers

Periwinkle experiment with selective B&W

a Magnolia tree's first bloom

Crocus buds emerging from rain-drenched soil

I'm fond of this one--it's a juvenile (American) Robin up close and personal

bird circus

The original plan was to photograph a rabbit, but it scampered off into the bushes.

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Just over my shoulder, I could see that it was dinnertime for a robin's chicks. Yea!! The adult American Robins would not come to the nest if I was too close, so I propped up the tripod, max height, attached the wireless receiver, set the controls, and walked away. I sat in a chair a few yards away from the tripod and waited until the parents returned.

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I tried one picture, and the flash did not seem to bother them. After sharing a worm the parent robin flew away, I reviewed the image, made adjustments and took my seat again. While waiting I tried to read, but it was so much more fun to look at the birds in the field. The robins did not appreciate the encroaching starlings. There were two more nests like this one on this side of the building, and they had similar activity going on there. Noisy Killdeer plovers were busy on the other side. One lone dove seemed to be out of place here. Meanwhile, I just sat there, taking it all in.

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When the parent returned, I was able to fire off a few shots. Sometimes, I discard my photos if the flash casts a shadow in them, but this one does not bother me. I liked looking at these robins, but I also liked the opportunity to fiddle with gadgets like the wireless remote control. (If you follow the link above, it shows one that is similar to the piece I have.)

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Five minutes later, I was chasing a baby bunny around out back, but all I got from that was grass stains on my white shirt.

easy pickins

[click on image to enlarge]

The plan was to go to one of the back rooms of an empty church. There is a field behind that church where the robins hang out. I hid there once, crouched down behind the windows, and found them yanking worms for lunch. I wanted that picture. So when I went to the front door, I found a robin two or three yards from a window. Proceeding slowly, I set up the tripod inside the front doors, and this is what I got. It is one of my favorite bird pics to date, because I did not need to crop it at all. I hope you like it.

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Oh, that field out back... it was empty.