The Birds of the Air

 

“Nature is a haunted house--but Art--is a house that tries to be haunted.” - Emily Dickinson, The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson

Impulsive Decisions Make Wonderful Pictures

In 2020, just after the pandemic put us all in lockdown I decided that I would pursue a hobby that I wanted to pursue for a long time. Having taken a semester of photography in college I decided it was time to return to the camera. Things now being digital and the entire process being new again, I pushed into a variety of areas of photography. The moon, stars, landscapes, birds, models and still lifes I would construct. Among my favorite things to photograph are birds.

Of all the birds in the world, owls are my absolute favorite. This Barred Owl was shot just outside Brackenridge Park in San Antonio early in the morning.

Barred owls are remarkable birds and are known for their distinctive appearance and vocalizations. Their brown and white plumage is striking but often they blend seamlessly into their woodland habitats. Their trademark call, often likened to a rhythmic "who cooks for you, who cooks for you all," can be heard echoing through the Brackenridge Park, adding to the enchanting ambiance of their surroundings. As adaptable hunters, they occupy a variety of environments, showcasing their resilience and versatility in the wild but also in our urban environments in greenways and parks.

These beautiful Great Egret stands in regal fashion in the morning sun.

Breakfast of champions.

Straight outta the egg. Just a few hours old this little sparrow is ready to stretch his wings and fly from the old chair on my patio.

My wife brought this lovely female Painted Bunting in using the Merlin app on her phone. Frustrated the bird a little but I got a shot.

It was pretty amazing that this owl stayed around for so long and let me shoot so many cool shots

As an amature photographer I struggle most with trying to get the shots I take to look like what is in my head. When it happens I am so very excited.

Sadly, the city of San Antonio is in a war against the Egrets in Brackenridge Park. Seems nature has no place where humans abound and these birds are being run off so that there is less poop in the park as they nest in the hundreds in the trees there. Or, at least, they did. Now they are gone for the most part.

All those times of the day, morning or evening, that photographers tell you that it is too dark to shoot or it is the wrong environment…. well… I have not learned those lessons yet. I will still persist with a huge telephoto lense in a wooded area too dark to shoot because it has got to work.

I just see the world a little differently…

It’s all in the attitude.

I will never be a pro photographer of wildlife I am sure, I like the dark and brooding images best and this little Couch’s Kingbird was shot just before a storm that really darkened the skies.