Jeanne Selep's Selep Imaging Blog

Monday, March 1, 2021

A Winter's Tale - More Winter Birds

Junco in Winter near Rhododendron

When I saw this Junco sitting on a branch in front of my Rhododendron it was like seeing a living Chinese pen and ink drawing. This color was photo taken late in the afternoon on a gray winter day. I snapped a couple of shots before the tiny bird flew off. It was sub zero out (Fahrenheit) so I think that's why he gave me a couple of extra seconds. (So much time!)

Junco in Winter

Thinking "Chinese pen and ink", I intentionally tried to frame the photo to look like an artwork. I cropped the photos to include lots of negative space. (Something I frequently don't remember to think about.) There is a term chiaroscuro that I think might also apply to the effect I was trying to get.

Junco in Winter Artwork by Jeanne Selep

Then I spent hours in photoshop creating the image above - where the background foliage is gray compared to the Junco. (I'm going to guess most people wouldn't have noticed the difference.) Note: It shouldn't take hours, if you know what your doing, but I was dodging individual pixels, it seems. In real life, the eye saw the bird very distinct from the background, but the camera metered and exposed the background and bird to even tones. The bird did not blend in with the background foliage like in the first un-altered photo.

Yellow Throated Vireo or Pine Warbler?

But back now to real birds. This Warbler or Yellow Throated Vireo above was taken at the bird bath before I had my camera on a tripod. The focus is sketchy, but I love the way the background is so unexpected for a natural bird subject (It's a mosaic bird bath base).

Redbird at my birdbath

These birds have red on them! One thing nice about the photos is that you can really study the birds to figure out what the bird is. When they are darting about, you can't figure out if the beak is small, long, etc. You can take your time with an identification book. I will leave it as an exercise for the reader... (professors some times say that) - have fun! Let me know what you find.

Downy Woodpecker at feeder

Above a Downy Woodpecker visits with some Warblers/Vireos. See the seed falling from the feeder? As the snow retreated about 20 pounds of birdseed appeared piled up under the feeders, and even the fat squirrels aren't interested in cleaning it up. Anyone else have this problem? I actually think that as the snow melts the birds go to newly uncovered food sources in areas where tons of birds haven't used the area above as a bathroom.

I have no idea what kind of bird this little one is.
(Here's to posting without research!)

(Please let me know in the comments if you know unidentified birds or if I have misidentified any birds.)

Bluebird Drinking #1

I have a couple of leftover bluebird photos that I didn't use in my bluebird post (here) that I decided were too cute to pass up.

Bluebird Drinking #2

I'm super happy that my "bluebirds of happiness" post and my "winter garden post" both got lots of comments - each of them are over 50 comments and that is a new record for me! Thank you! I try to visit each site that comments.

Junco in Winter Artwork by Jeanne Selep

A fun gardening note for gardeners: Identifying birds isn't that hard with a good photo. But how many of you gardening types would ever identify the plant in the background as a rhododendron? It's part of a winter tale here in Wisconsin. I've always wanted a winter garden, the type you see in Washington DC and other warmer places, with green leaves - holly and ivy and more - frosted with snow. So when I was in Minnesota decades ago, I bought (4?) hollys and a 'hardy' rhododendron that I figured would survive and thrive in my zone 5(ish) area.

Detailed Gardening Zone Map Poster

The holly plants didn't make it (rabbits and more), but this rhododendron has survived and died (and reappeared) multiple times. Every winter the "green" leaves turn brownish and curl into (effectively) needles like on a pine tree.

Junco in Winter

Can you see the 7-8 (tiny) buds where the flowers will be in the photo above? They will bloom for less that a week, and then the plant will flail about awkwardly for the rest of the summer. I consider it my "Seussical" plant. Others have said to remove it, and it was once cut down as a weed, but I like my Seussical plant. My family insisted it never bloomed, (observant people they are) until I produced photos as proof of the plant's short and unimpressive blooming week(end). I have pursued a Winter Garden in my front yard you can see here with more success.

Click on the images to see them enlarged.

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Mosaic Stepping Stone

Mosaic Cross

Mosaic Ball B/W

Heart Window

I am linking up to these parties:

Create with Joy: Inspire me 476 Sun-Mon (m Entry 62 of 169.)
My Random: Anything Goes 275 (Entry 11 of 63.)
Love my Little Cottage: Cottage Mon 92 (Entry x of 96x.)
Good Random Fun: Good Fun Mon 4a (m Entry 19 of 41.)
BNOTP: Metamorphis Monday 6a (s Entry x of 47x.)
Anitaojeda: Inspire Me Mon 4p (s Entry 25 of 53.)
Uncommon Slice: Inspire Me 124 Mon 2-4p (m Entry 2 of 112.)
* Stroll Life: Inspire Me Mon 581 3p (l Entry 6 of 120.)
Common Ground: All About Home 81 Mon 6p (l Entry 11 of 125.)
Loulougirls: Fabulous-party 361 Mon 7p (l Entry 51 of 131.)
Mersad photography: Through my Lens (Entry 13 of 23.)
Our World Tues: Our World (Entry 36 of 68.)
Image-in-ing: Weekly link up (Entry 8 of 78.)
Sharon Wagner: Sharon's Souvenirs (Entry 6 of 9.)
Lindas lunacy: Making-a-home 204 Tue 9a (l Entry 15 of 37.)
My world Thru My Lens: My Corner Wed (Entry 26 of 78.)
Peabea: Pictorial Tuesday (Entry 9 of 16.)
Jesh studio: All Seasons Tues (Entry 25 of 25.)
Thistlekeylane: Tue Turn About 89 5p (s Entry 8 of 150.)
Also My Wee Abode: Tuesday Turn About (s Entry 8 of 150.)
Faeries and Fauna: Waste not Wed 244 (l Entry 36x of 111x.)
Stonecottageadventures: Tue with a twist 410 (l Entry 23 of 50.)
Lets Add Sprinkles: Keep in Touch 189 Tue 4p (m Entry 8 of 150.)
Gingersnap crafts:Wow me 494 Tue 7p (Entry 6x of 116x.)
Girlish Whims: Whims 500 Tues 8:50p (Entry 1 of 89.)
Applestreetcottage: Party in your PJs 348 (Entry 5 of 149.)
Flusterbuster: Creative Muster 426 Wed (l Entry x)
Grandmas house: Grandmas house 233 Wed 4p (m Entry 53)
French Ethereal: Share Your Style 294 Wed 6p (Entry 6 of 59.)
Imparting grace: Grace at home 415 (Entry 6 of 126.)
Artsy mama: Artsy party 334 Th 7a (Entry 9 of 115.)
Slices of Life: Hearts+Home Handmade Th 6a (Entry 24 of 115.)
Eclectic Red Barn: Thurs Favorite Things Th 7a (Entry 35 of 205.)
Also KatherinesCorner: Th 7a (Entry 35 of 205.)
Also Follow the yellow brick: Th 7a (Entry 35 of 205.)
My Thrift Addiction: Vintage Charm 274 Wed (m Entry 35 of 62.)
Life beyond Kitchen: Creatively Crafty 265 Th 3p (Entry 47 of 70.)
Kathleen: Bloggers Pit Stop 260 Th 8p (l Entry 3 of 95.)
Its a Small Town Life: Thankful Thurs (l Entry 3 of 21.)
Two Chicks and a Mom: Funtastic Fri 322 8p (i Entry 68)
Shelbeeontheedge: On the edge 234 (Entry 43)
The Painted Hinge: Farmhouse 194 Fri (L Entry 18)
Cottagemarket: A morning cup of Joe 26 Fri (L Entry 2)
Shabby boutique: Create-grow-gather 460 Fri (L Entry x)
Chic on a shoestring: Flaunt it Fri (s Entry missing)
Modern on Monticello: Home matters 321 Fri (s Entry 25)
Busy Being Jennifer: Fri Favorites 122 (m Entry 36)
Our mini family: Our mini party (s Entry )
Funkyjunkinteriors: DIY Salvaged Fri (Entry na)
** Eye Love Knots: Snicker Doodle 375 Sat 5pm (m Entry 7)
Pams Party: Dare to share Fri (m Entry 2 of 45)
Weekend Reflection: Reflections (Entry 19)
Creative Mom: Craft Schooling Sunday (s Entry x?)
Finding Silver pennies: Silver Pennies Sun 6a (m Entry gone)
The house on Silverado: Sun on Silverado 31 (Entry 48)
Life and Linda: Dishing it Digging it 87 Sun 3p (l Entry 19)
3 little buttons: Dream Team Linky Sun 6am (Entry 10)
April Harris: Hearth and Soul Sun 11a (Entry 17)
Franca: Keep Calm and Carry On (Entry 18)

427119

Thursday, February 18, 2021

Bluebird Hot Tub Party

Bluebird of Happiness

The phrase "bluebird of happiness" refers to the idea that seeing a bluebird is an omen of good luck, joy or happiness. This concept has existed for centuries in European, Chinese, Russian, Native American and other cultures. I'm hoping this idea is true, because recently I have been seeing a whole lot of bluebirds.

In summer 2020, I put up a bird feeder to add activity outside my dining room window. As summer progressed the feeding birds were fun to watch. They were mostly LBB's as my sister calls them, Little Brown Birds.

Eastern Bluebird at my heated Birdbath

Fall came, and I put up more feeders. When winter came I figured out how to supply electricity to the heated birdbath I had owned for over a decade. (i.e., I purchased a really long outdoor power cord.) Wow, that made a difference once the snow began to fall. Apparently birds like seeing open water.

Bluebird at my birdbath

I now have a large variety of birds in my backyard. Most are still LBB's (little brown birds). But the most exciting sight is a small flock of bluebirds that regularly visit the birdbath.

Bluebird Hot-tub Party

In decades of life in Wisconsin, I've almost never seen a real bluebird, and now 3-5 can show up for a daily hot-tub party.

Bluebirds are Flighty!

But they move fast and are SO flighty! (No wonder they are considered hard to see!) So I used wrapping paper to make a blind on part of my window, put my camera on a tripod, and here are some of the results. (The birdbath is about 6 feet from the window).

Two Male Eastern Bluebirds

My first photos (not shown) highlighted how dirty the birdbath was, so I had to go out in the snow and scrub the birdbath down for better photos. (I had to "style" the birdbath). And I need to add water almost every day when it's zero degrees Fahrenheit out, but the birds make the effort worthwhile.

Female Eastern Bluebird

Despite the blind, the birds seem aware that I am there. The ability to actually stare at my photos (since the actual birds move so fast) makes me feel happy - my bluebirds are looking at me! I want to protect these tiny creatures who can handle -5 degrees Fahrenheit, in a world where the climate is changing faster than we can comprehend.

Bluebird drinking and Reflection

I love how the little bluebird above has a drop of water on his beak. The reflection and spreading water droplet turned out well. He is a male Eastern bluebird. Western bluebirds have blue all the way around the neck.
(I found this site great for bluebird identification and maps, bird song recordings and bluebird information.)

Bluebird head Closeup

Since my post is about bluebirds, I thought I would share two vintage postcards featuring bluebirds that I have in a collection of vintage cards.

Vintage postcard 1 - with Bluebirds and nest

I like the sweet graphics and cute sentiments found on the old cards. One is postmarked 1922, the other says 1920(?).

Vintage postcard 2 - with Bluebirds postmarked 1922

I'm also sharing two vintage porcelain birds I've had for quite some time. I used to think the shape was exaggerated, but now I see what the artist saw.

Vintage ceramic bluebird figurines

My photographs show round fluffed out little birds that seem to match the shape of the sculpted figures.

Eastern Bluebird

I hope sharing my photos of these "bluebirds of happiness" will bring you good luck and joy. After all, you are now seeing them too.

Maybe this is a sign that the pandemic will pass soon? We can only hope... Until then, stay safe and warm!

If you want to see more snow, (yeah, right - who wants to see more snow?!?) check out my Winter Garden.)

Click on the images to see them enlarged.

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