Focusing on Life Self Portrait

So much going on in life I somewhat reluctantly joined in the
 Focusing on Life 52 week photo challenge hosted by Sally Russick.

 The first challenge is a tough one and I think just about everybody would agree. Very few of us like to be in front of the camera and taking a Self Portrait is not easy.

 

I kind of like this one cause it has a very cheeky mischievious look to it and I had to play with it in pic monkey to minimize the things I didn't like about it.

 So I focused on my eye looking right at the camera.
As far as cropping I didn't need to, this is the exact shot that came from my camera, I was just holding the camera at arms length and clicking and this was really the only useable shot I got.
 

 

And when I was playing I came across this effect that I thought was cool so I'll share it too.

 

 

 

 

 Kristi

KristiBowmanDesign.Etsy

WBW



Spotted Towhee



A cute little juvenile Spotted Towhee, finally starting to show it's adult colors

and notice the eyes are beginning to get that intense orange color too.

And lots of watering hole pictures,

I'm happy to provide a spot for them they seem to really enjoy!



Black Capped Chickadee




Red-Breasted Nuthatch





Red-Breasted Nuthatch

 


Red Breasted Nuthatch just about to take off!

 

Northern Flicker

 

Northern Flicker



White Crowned Sparrow




Male Anna's Hummingbird

This little jewel spent a good half an hour atop my Butterfly Bush,

 right where I could set my camera up and click away, that was very kind of him.

Kristi

I Heart Macro

My favorite Gladiola, is it stunning or what!

 It was here when we moved in 3 years ago and I look forward to seeing it every year.

 I'm considering planting more varieties of Glads, they have always been a favorite of mine!

Soft and stunning Hydrangea, just got watered so there's lots of droplets left on it which is always gorgeous!

I Heart Macro

Kristi

WBW - Red Tailed Hawk

Juvenile Red Tailed Hawk



Juvenile Red Tailed Hawk





Juvenile Red Tailed Hawk



I've also been lucky enough to get a juvenile Flicker being fed by it's mother.

It was a very quick moment and I barely got this photo through the window,

an action shot for sure!

 The funny thing is he was having a nice meal at the Suet feeder

and she made him stop so she could feed him.

Male Juvenile Flicker and Mama.

AND my Female Downy Woodpecker (below) is getting lots of screen time,

I'm happy to say I see her more than once a day now,

 I only wish she'd bring some friends, but maybe I'm asking for too much.

Maybe one day!

Female Downy Woodpecker

She goes from the bird feeder to the suet feeder and back again

 and once in awhile stops on this old branch I have attached to the top of my chain link

 which is smack dab in front of my camera! Isn't she generous!

What a cutie!

Juvenile Nuthatch

Another action shot,
a Juvenile Nuthatch finished taking a drink and he's ready for lift off!


Thanks for visiting me on the new
Wild Bird Wednesday.

Kristi

WBW - Nuthatch Etc.

My first photo of a Nuthatch, I've never seen them at my feeder

 so I'm thrilled to not only see one but get his picture!!!

Here is one with a Finch I believe on the other side,

the Finch is very comfortable but the Nuthatch keeps moving around like it's thinking "this thing is broken", he wants to hang upsidedown and snack lol

Not long after I caught the first one on Film, I saw 2!!!

So cute!

Now this Spotted Towhee was exibiting what to me was weird behavior.

At first I thought there was something wrong with him,

he was eating then he'd stop and sit there with his mouth open and he kept listing to the left,

a little more and a little more.

Then he'd have a little more to eat then he listed even more!!

Then he got up, everything was fine. Maybe he was just sunning himself, I've never seen it before.

One of my Stellar's Jays showing me his beautiful feathers.

I think this is one of the babies almost fully feathered out now,

 at another angle you could still see some fluff sticking out to the side.

I got another cute picture of this little Spotted Sandpiper when I was on the neighboring property trying to get a good picture of the young Red Tailed Hawk.

I heard the Hawk numerous times but by the time I get over there with my camera he's nowhere to be seen.

And I'll finish with this crazy kid, just out of the bird bath.

This little one had so much fun and I had fun watching him!

Kristi

Join the other birders for

Wild Bird Wednesday

WBW - Backyard Birds

My young Stellar's Jay, more blue and less fluff every time I take his picture.

More blue less fluff, might not even be the same one.

I see a dozen or more flying around at one time so there's bound to be several juveniles out there.

Love his mohawk, he's soooo cute!

And this one speakin it's mind!

And here's one ransacking my feeder.

Here's 4 lined up at the suet feeder,

 there was another one in the branches on the left but I just missed getting it in the picture.

Young American Robin!

I finally got a picture of a Northern Flicker in my yeard, above is the male.

And the pretty female!!

This Grosbeak freaks me out every time I see him at the suet feeder from a distance,

my heart races and I think it might finally be a Woodpecker.

He's taunting me!!

I chuckle every time I see one of these little ones in the chain link doing the splits.

Lots of young ones around.

Here's a very demanding young Starling who outweighs it's parent

 but is very clear what it wants.

They both barely fit on the top of the post.

Kristi

WBW - Hawks and Flickers

I'm starting my post with what I believe is a Red Tailed Hawk.

There were actually 3 of them but this was the only one that got close enough to photograph.

Even with my 500mm he was way up there and it was a challenge to get him in to focus,

I swear I quit breathing I was so intent on catching him on "film"

I had to stop for a minute to concentrate on breathing or I would hve fallen over.

They were making alot of noise and in this last one he's in the middle of one of those calls,

I was lucky I clicked at just the right moment.

Earlier the same day I was out watering flowers and I heard the distinct voice of a Flicker.

I dropped the hose and high tailed it in the house to get my camera!

I've seen and heard the flickers around but this is my first picture.

I wish this dead tree in my neighbors yard was just a little bit closer.

At first they were to the left in the branches and I couldn't see them,

then they moved to this dead tree.

They were making lots of cooing and kissing noises, obviously talking about going steady!

The picture below was the only one I caught of them dancing around,

the one on the bottom was swaying back and forth

the one on the top spreading it's tail feathers and I caught both behaviors!!!!

Kristi