It was cold and gray the last time that I visited Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge two weeks ago. I was bundled up to try to stay warm and some of the small number of birds that I did see had fluffed up their feathers. Others, like this small flock of Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura) were huddled together on the branches of a distant dead tree.
There was not a lot of light and the birds appear almost as silhouettes in this image. The image has a stark, bare quality to it that captures well the bleakness of the moment. Although we are technically not yet in winter, this day offered a foretaste of the colorless days to come.
Since I took this photo, I have been to the West Coast and back. I still have some photos from my time there that I plan to post here, but decided to post this image today in an effort to reground myself on the East Coast. I am also planning to go out today with my camera and hope to capture some more cheery images than this one. Who knows, maybe I will even find a late season dragonfly.
Have a wonderful week.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
All those birds on one branch. Fab shot, Mike. Good luck in your find for a dragonfly.
Thanks, Tricia. Today’s high temperature is supposed to about 65 degrees (18 degrees C), which might coax a few lingering dragonflies to present themselves–later in the week it gets a lot colder. Of course, there are likely to be birds to see too–I always seem to find things to photograph. 🙂
That shot definitely has a November feel to it Mike!
Days like that really make me appreciate the sunny days even more.
So many birds, so nicely spaced out along the branches, really ‘makes’ the photo.
Thanks. The photo is a natural variant of the traditional “birds on a wire” photo. 🙂
I’ve never understood the implied criticism of those bird-on-a-wire photos. After all, many of our birds, like the kingfishers and a certain hawk I know, enjoy perching and fishing from those wires. The wires are part of their ‘habitat’ too!
That is so true. Some photographers tend to be purists in the weirdest possible ways, in terms of subject matter or composition or adjustments to the images. Your mention of a kingfisher brought to mind a posting I did years ago when a Belted Kingfisher was perched on the railing of a railroad bridge (https://michaelqpowell.com/2013/02/09/stalking-another-belted-kingfisher/). 🙂
Great shot!
Thanks, Louella.
Nice Mike! Enjoyed seeing your images from your trip! Looking forward to seeing more images!
Thanks, Reed. On trips like the one I just completed, I use a completely different set of gear than I normally use, with a greater emphasis on shorter focal lengths and landscape photography. It is fun to mix it up a bit and try some different approaches to photography. 🙂
I enjoyed the near-silhouette of the mourning doves, Mike. I find winter a wonderful time to appreciate silhouettes. I hope your intrepid adventure today is pleasant and lively.
Thanks, Jet. Winter wildlife photography is a different challenge than during the longer, warmer seasons. I find myself paying even more attention to light and color during the winter, because they seem to be in such short supply. My adventures yesterday were definitely pleasant, though the wildlife was mostly elusive and I did not find any dragonflies, though I did spot a sunning snake, which is a bit unusual in December.
Very cool and unusual image, Mike! Welcome back to the east coast, hope you had a great day out.
I saw two camera shy dragonflies in our back yard today, surprising after the cold we had last week.
Thanks, Ellen. I went searching for dragonflies yesterday, hoping to see an Autumn Meadowhawk or two, but came up empty handed. I suspect that the ones you saw may also have been the same species, though it is possible that you might have a few others there that could be around this late in the season.
Hopefully a good hunt! The temps here have been nicer than we’d been having for the last week or so, nice to just get out the door.
It’s always surprising to see them after we’ve had a hard frost. I did see what I thought was a Roseate Skimmer last week; the two yesterday I never got close enough to tell. I waited quietly for them to return, but no luck.
I’ve just looked Autumn Meadowhawk up in DandDOTE, and the size and coloration would be a fit, although we are outside the range per the book’s map.
I’m hoping I can remember half of what I’ve learned for next year.
We have some overlap with you in terms of dragonfly species, but you have some there that I don’t see and vice-versa. Don’t worry too much about remembering details for next season–it took years and years for me to learn to identify them as well as I do and I still make mistakes. I figure I will make one or two more “hunts” before I am ready to declare the dragonfly season to be over. 🙂
Welcome home! I really enjoyed your West Coast images.
Thanks, Nina. I was quite conscious that the content of my blog postings was different, but the feedback that I have received has been overwhelmingly positive. My blog postings tend to reflect my interests and personality as much as my wildlife subjects. Most readers seem to appreciate the fact that I inject myself so much into my writing and even into my photos. 🙂