I finally managed to venture out of my snowy neighborhood for a visit to my favorite photography destination these past few years, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. There were lots of birds—mostly sparrows—pecking about on the trails that had been exposed by the sunshine and warming of the days since the big snowfall.
I was absolutely delighted when I saw a flash of brilliant blue among the drab sparrows on the ground and tracked the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) to some nearby vegetation. There is something really specially about seeing bright colors during the wintertime, when the world often seems colorless and monochromatic. With lots of snow still on the ground, the intensity of the colors of cardinals and bluebirds seems to be magnified even more.
I was able to capture an image of the bluebird as it perched for a moment before returning to foraging. Later in the day, while I was exploring the edge of an open field, I spotted another bluebird in the distance. He was perched high on a slender stalk and seemed to be calling out to his friends or maybe to his partner.
I zoomed in as much as I could, but the little bird still filled only a small part of the frame. However, I really like the way that the final image turned out. The minimalist composition really helps to draw the viewer’s eye to the bluebird and its expressive cry. The vast expanse of white space in the shot helps to emphasize the sense of isolation that this bird may have been feeling.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Beautiful bird photographs.
Nice Bluebird images Mike!
Thanks, Reed.
Both photographs are great. The second one is very atmospheric. It makes me think of the isolation and loneliness of winter environments. What I love about the first one is seeing all of the lovely detail in the bird’s wings and the range of colours.
Thanks, Laura. I was very interested in seeing how you would respond to the images with your artist’s eyes. The first shot is the one that I know will appeal to most people because it shows the bluebird a bit better. The second image is definitely more “artsy”–your response to the shot is similar to my own reassures me that I’m not the only one who likes images that convey a feeling or a mood without being explicit. Does that make sense?
That absolutely makes complete sense to me.
“Orange-Bluebirds” for Benjamin and he will be delighted! I find that both photos lend credence to Benjamin’s renaming of them. The first photo is the perfect portrait of the bird in all his feathered glory. The second photo is a fascinating capture made even more so when fully enlarged. Today’s post reminds me that Benjamin and I became followers before his 4th birthday. It also reminds me of the many moments spent together exploring your photos and enjoying your posts. Still a lover of nature, Benjamin turned 8 yesterday! “Orange is red brought nearer to humanity by yellow.” – Wassily Kandinsky, painter and author. Thank-you, Mr. Mike!
Gorgeous! I just found on Twitter that when I visit your a/c, tweets from last year that I have ‘liked’ aren’t showing up with a coloured heart like they should. I couldn’t figure out why I’d missed so many tweets! But I found if I have a look at the ‘like’ list, my name is on it after all. Very strange.
I confess that I don’t understand Twitter at all, so I can’t solve your mystery, Liz. I am glad you liked today’s posts–most people seem to love my bluebird posts. 🙂
It’s ok, wasn’t expecting you to solve anything! It was just to explain why you may see new likes from me on your old tweets. I’ve found twitter to be very good so this is ‘out-of-character’!
What exquisite photos of this beautiful bluebird, Mike. Thank you so much for sharing them!
I love both photos.
Both great photos! Very different, but they both beautifully express the loneliness of the season. Nicely done!
Beautiful, most especially the first photo!
Blue Rock Horses Frederick County, Virginia bluerockhorses.com
Lovely. The second shot begs a poem to be written.
Are you volunteering, Kathy? 🙂
Hmmm….How about…
Alone
Or so the season would make it seem
A clouded curtain dims my sight but not my voice
And so I sing and trust the song itself will pierce the veil
A bud of hope offered to another unseen soul
I like that a lot. I have not posted that photo in Facebook yet. Would you mind if I used your little poem with attribution when I do so?
Feel free.
Certainly did yourself proud on these 😂👏😂👏. Really nice !
Both very nice, and I agree with others’ comments that the second one is a real winner! And what a joy to see these beauties in your snowscape.
Thanks, Ellen. I think each of the two photos appeals to different audiences and sensibilities. In a simplified sense, the first shot, which shows greater detail, appeals to scientists, while the second shot appeals to artists, who may be more concerned about how they feel when they look at an image than about the details of the subject.
Mike, these are wonderful. Until 2-3 years ago I had barely ever seen an Eastern Bluebird. Now I see several every day, especially now that we are putting out mealworms to supplement their winter diet. And interestingly, while last year they ate only the mealworms, and the year before they refused even those, this year several adventurous bluebirds have been spotted struggling to perch on and eat from the seed feeders. Tastes change, I guess. It’s funny to watch them channeling the hummingbirds as they try to hover at the feeder openings in order to score a seed.
I love Kathy’s poem.