I often find myself returning to the same spot where I have previously seen a bird or a dragonfly. Of course, these are winged species that can fly wherever they want, so there is no guarantee that they will remain in a single location. Perhaps they just happened to be at that spot or maybe there is something about that habitat that suits them well and will cause them to remain.
I revisited a spot at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge on Monday where I had spotted a few Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) almost a week earlier. When I arrived there, I was delighted to see that a small group of bluebirds and was even more thrilled when I was able to get close enough to capture some portrait shots of individual birds.
I really like the way that the background in the first photo is an almost perfect match for the colors of the bluebird. In the second photo, the evergreen tree helps to provide a sense of the environment and the berries below the bird help explain why the bluebird chose that tree. I like the framing of the branches in the final photo and the little pops of red on one of the branch and in the background.
I revisited that same spot again on Friday, but the skies were heavily overcast and, alas, I did not find any bluebirds that day.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I love them! And there’s a myth around them which I retell in my poem, Nanabozo’s Rainbow.
A wonderful bird and nice pictures. I love the colors in the backgrounds.
Oh my! Michael, those are just lovely.
So beautiful! Perfect shots,Mike
Gorgeous portraits. The background colours are perfectly sympathetic to the plumage of the bird too.
Thanks, Laura.
These are lovely portraits, Mike.
Our frontyard bluebirds have been acting so strangely lately. Over and over, they fly to the kitchen window, perch on the wooden rail, and peer in, as if to say, “Where are the mealworms? We are waiting….” Such odd behavior.
🙂
Wow, especially that third image, Mike!
It is amazing how often birds will turn up in the same spots…and I suppose just as amazing that some spots that seem perfect you never see a bird a second time.
I laughed when I read the second part of your comment, because I have a tendency to look for great spots or perches and think how great it would be for a bird or dragonfly to land there. I try to communicate my thoughts telepathically to potential subjects, but am rarely successfully in getting them to cooperate. 🙂
😄 And how fun and shocking, and rare, when one actually does land in that spot.
🙂
Your bluebird shots are stunning, Mike. I agree with you about returning to a spot where you’ve seen a particular bird before. And I really enjoyed looking at these photos with an eye to the colors of the background, as you described – beautiful.
Thanks. I spend a lot of time at a couple of favorite parks and wildlife refuges and have my own set of special spots, where I know I have gotten good shots in the past. However, I get restless after a little while, and like to wander about, waiting to react opportunistically to whatever I encounter.
You are very good at finding beauty and sharing it!☺️
Lovely
Thanks, Louella.
Beautiful 🌹
Thanks.
Welcome 🙏freinds