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Posts Tagged ‘windblown’

Although it was sunny last Wednesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, the wind was kicking up quite a bit, repeatedly ruffling the feathers of this perched Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). It has been a long time since I had hair that was long enough to sport that kind of windblown look.

When I was a child, I had a cowlick in the back of my head that refused to stay in place, despite my lineral use of Brylcreem or a similar product called Groom and Clean. My father, like many men of his generation had a comb over hair style that he somehow fixed in place. When I started going bald, I rejected that style and opted to keep  my hair cut short. Of course, during the 20 years that I spent in the US Army, it was a mandated “choice,” much like the mandatory “fun” that surrounded official social functions.

Bald Eagle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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A strong wind was blowing last Thursday as I was exploring Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Most of the birds that I usually observe were absent from view, probably using common sense to take shelter from the blustery wind. As I was returning almost empty-handed to my car, I spotted several Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) perched low on the roof of a covered picnic area.

Generally I try to avoid including manmade structures in my wildlife photos, but sometimes you just have to take what you can get. I really like the way that I was able to capture some of the feather details of this male Eastern Bluebird. If you look closely, you can see the bird’s windblown feathers, a look that is cultivated by some stylish humans, who often rely on “product” to achieve the effect rather than on the actual wind.

Eastern Bluebird

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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