Weekly Photo Challenge: VIVID
“It’s hard learning to live with vivid mental images of scenes I cared for and failed to photograph.”
Sam Abell
(11 photos)
Well I guess this is my month for birds . I’m opening this week’s challenge response with two captures of a beautiful, vividly blue heron balancing on a slender branch as he prepares to launch into the unknown.ย I shot these on a second trip to the rookery I posted about last week. As I mentioned in that post, I was happily entertained by the bird chicks as they ventured out of their protective nests for the first time, but I failed to capture any shots of their antics. I was determined to correct that with a second visit.
“Somewhere, things must be beautiful and vivid.”
Lisa Ann Sandell
Lest you think my task might be easy, consider the challenges. First; find a bird who is old enough to climb, but too young to fly. Next; find a vantage point that allows a clear shot within the dense foliage that protects the birds’ nests. Finally; without disturbing its natural environment,ย find a chick intent on venturing out and about. Exhibit A: the young chicks in my captures above and below. ๐
“No man-made invention will ever be as clear, or as vivid, as the image captured in your mind of a loved one who’s gone.”
“It is a gift to see life around you clearly and vividly, as something that is exciting in its own right.”
Bill Brandt
Speaking of vivid, how about the color of the waters over which the young birds were frolicking? The brilliant green was a lovely background for my shots, but I wouldn’t want to have to swim in it!
“Vivid images are like a beautiful melody that speaks to you on an emotional level.”
Steve Bochco
ย “A vivid imagination compels the whole body to obey it.”
Aristotle
Once I became acclimated to the movements of the chicks, I began to get a sense about which of them would be active, and when an adventure might begin. Then it became a waiting game – how much patience did I have and what might I have been missing at some other nest while waiting at this one! Sometimes there’s a reward like the shot above and much more often, not so much. The little chick below, for example, never got much farther than his nose/beak.
“The impressions of one’s youth remain the most vivid in manhood.”
Gustav Stressmann
I found myself wondering what it must be like for a chick about to make its first dive. As the youngsters mature, their nests become increasingly smaller. What seemed a cozy, protective environment soon becomes crowded and restrictive, and although mom and dad have worked hard to deliver meals, the lure of the fish swimming below must become harder and harder to resist. What’s a baby bird to do???
“Vivid simplicity is the articulation, the nature of genius.”
Criss Jami
Happily, I was able to capture some of the bravery of the little chicks as they tested the limits of their newly-found abilities. None of the birds in my post were yet able to fly, but they were exploring their little patch of the rookery as far as their scrawny legs and oversized talons would allow. Clearly it would not be long before they’d be soaring overhead, seeing the world from an entirely new point of view.
“Every child is born blessed with a vivid imagination. “
Walt Disney
For the moment though, the chicks are restricted to an area within which they can climb or hop. Because their claws and beaks are large and strong they travel quite effectively, hopping from branch to branch and tree to tree.ย Interestingly, each set of siblings seems to have it’s own little home, within a small “neighborhood”. They could clearly travel farther but seem to choose to stay within established boundaries. How they know the extent of their reach, and why they stay within it, are questions for another day.
“Open your eyes to life: to see it in the vivid colors that God gave us.”
Nancy Reagan
Next week — ABB (Anything But Birds!!) Stay tuned ๐
To enjoy the vivid examples ofย some other bloggers, click here.
Fabulous photos..that first one-amazing ๐
Thanks Elle – he was quite beautiful preening there in the sun against the blue sky.
Beautifully vivid (and perfect) images, Tina!
Thanks Svetlana! Hope all’s well on your end. Looks like you’re having a busy summer!
What a wonderful exploration of a heron rookery! I love both of your photo essays and your explanation of the habits of these fledglings. Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a webcam stationed at a heron nest near the university. A few years ago my husband and I watched the entire process from the sequence of preparing the nest, to egg laying, chicks hatching out and growing up. We became self-proclaimed heron addicts!
LOL “heron addicts”, love that! Thanks for stopping by Lindy. Your view of the Cornell webcam must have been fascinating.
Gorgeous series and oooh that blue – ๐
Thank you Andrew – you are the KING of color so glad you appreciated this one.
Tina, what can I say, except thank you for making my day with such a lovely comment ๐
But I wanted more birds! These are spectacular shots. Love the quotes too.
LOL – thanks HMC. I promise there will be more at some point. Just giving the readers a bit of a break for a while!
Excellent shots, Tina, but the one titled ‘Precarious’ is downright hilarious.
Having spent ages trying to capture birds through foliage, I can well appreciate the difficulty of the photos of the chicks.
Thanks Vicki – I loved that little guy and had quite a series on him! Thanks for noticing the humor of it!
These are perfect, Tina. Nothing more to say — JUST PERFECT!
๐ Doesn’t get much better than than Paula – thanks!!
Such an impressive collection of photos, Tina! I like every one of them.
Thanks very much Neihtn!
beautiful bird photos and I love all the quotes, especially the Aristotle.
Thanks very much Gayle – a bit of a struggle finding the right words this time so glad you commented on them.
wow, your photos are incredible – my fave birds too. Well done!
Thanks Brenda – glad you enjoyed!
How patient you were Tina and it paid off in these super shots . Having the time to consider and absorb the behaviour of such moments is very rewarding . Marvellous photos – full of tentative expressions !
Thanks so much Poppy – patience is definitely my short suit but it was the only way to get what I wanted so I controlled my natural tendencies ๐ appreciate your appreciation!!!
These are such fabulous shots! The Blue Heron is a vivid bird in color and life. How wonderful to see the young offspring – vividly!
Thanks PE! Glad you enjoyed.
Glorious! Who would have thought white could evoke the feeling of Vivid, but you have succeeded in capturing that.
Thanks very much FWFA!
Must say ~ intensely enjoyed all the photos
of the birds! So many hours of devotion
spent on these bevy of beauties… truly
admire your passion ! Delighted on your
interpretation of this theme! Excellent!
Thanks so much Atureaid. It was great fun working the scene!
Sent from my iPad
>
Wonderful photos, Tina! BTW, I’ve updated that post to included the Chihuly links. Even though they came through for me to approve, WP somehow got rid of them. SIgh. But they’re up now.
janet
Ah the wonders of WordPress. They’re there now and all are terrific. My favorites are the ones that look like desert plants. Thanks for sharing Janet!
Sent from my iPad
>
My pleasure, Tina. Thanks for coming back and looking at them. Have a wonderful week.
janet
Wonderful, wonderful, Tina. BTW, I updated my post from Friday to include the Chihuly links that WordPress somehow deleted, even after I’d approved them in the morning.
janet
Thanks Janet – for the lovely ocmpliment AND the links!
My pleasure, Tina. Thanks for coming back.
How gorgeous Tina! I’ve never seen a Heron close to photograph – and I love their chicks. Great captures!
Thanks so much Sonia – it’s quite a treat to see them up close and personal!
Amazing shots all round, Tina. Patience and persistence pays, and you certainly captured the birds in their element. Beak to Beak is my favourite shot out of this collection – what a great illusion. The other day I was looking closely at some birds fly, and realised sometimes when they fly they hold their wings still…and glide so gracefully. Birds really do know how to trust themselves, so I am sure the little chicks here will know when the time is right for them to soar ๐
Thanks Mabel. yes they are really amazing to watch. Their confidence as they leave the nest to explore their surroundings is amazing!
Fabulous again! It must have been difficult to focus on photography rather than bird watching.
LOL, good point LRS! Fortunately one can watch as one shoots ๐ !
Awesome chicks! And so funny! Gorgeous shots, Tina.
Thanks Tiny, glad you enjoyed!
Your photos of the chicks are stunning. I really enjoyed looking at them.
Thanks so much Colline!
Wow! I’m speechless. Gorgeous pictures. I love them all. The post is perfect. Se plenty of life.
Thank you so much Olga, what lovely feedback!
Very nice post. I simply stumbled upon your weblog and wished to mention that I have
really loved surfing around your weblog posts. After all I’ll be subscribing on your feed and I
am hoping you write again soon!
thanks very much GTA – glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the follow!
Your birds are wonderful and you have captured some excellent expressions ๐
Thanks Jude – they were MAKING some excellent expressions!๐
Fascinating pics, Tina. Now have an image of you lurking thro’ bush and swamp. It’s great to see how the chicks progress – a superb collection of photos.
Truth be told Liz, I did lurk about a bit!!!! Fortunately the birds didn’t seem to mind too much and the results were, at least for me, well worth the effort!
Fabulous shots Tina!
Many thanks Sir Maverick!
I am so glad we got to revisit the rookery … I did wonder last week where you had to position yourself to grab some of these shots without 1) falling out of a tree yourself 2) in with the snakes in the high grasses .. wherever.. I loved Daring to Explore photo and quote… All of the birds looked like they were pressing the limit !!!
Indeed they were ALL pressing the limit and so was I ๐ although I neither climbed nor fell out of any trees, I came close to slipping into that green morass more than once!!
Each has its own appeal and beauty.
Thank you Sally – true in life as in photos!
Great tutorial on these fluffy little guys. Very interesting.
Thanks Jane ๐
Can’t you just imagine the tiny wheels turning in those little heads…..trying to figure out what they’re supposed to be doing next and just how to do it?
Indeed I can sharon! That first leap of faith must be a real doozy!!!
Lovely set of pictures. My favourite is the Beak to Beak Brothers. It makes me go Awww.
Awwwww, thanks WC ๐
T –
These are absolutely fantastic. I am wondering how many bug bites you got waiting and watching!! Kudos for your patience. XO
LOL, thanks Capey. Since I was covered from head to foot it wasn’t too bad. However I couldn’t have been much hotter if I’d been standing in an oven on broil !!!!
I love those blue herons, Tina. Lovely captures.–Patti
Thanks so much Patti – glad you enjoyed them. they’re a beautiful species.
This was just adorable. I had no idea they puffed their little wings to get ready to dive. Or at least try to. Oh, can you imagine the trepidation?! But they are so cute! Wonderful as always, Tina.
Thanks Lois! it’s true, you have to think their first experience jumping off that last branch must be quite the leap of faith!!
Wonderful shots Tina!
Thank you Adrian!
how FABULOUS these furry friends are…..what incredible shots….truly breathtaking!!! Loving the opening quote!! U have such a great eye for details….enjoyed these!!
They are fabulous indeed April, thanks. I wish everyone could experience them, it’s beyond words!
These are wonderful! Love the quote from Nancy Reagan – who knew she could be introspective????
My sentiments precisely Mary Lynn – first time I’ve ever come across her in my quote searches! Thanks for popping by!
Incredible shots – thanks.
My pleasure Annette, glad you enjoyed!
Beautiful, vivid… indeed! Great post for the WPC theme, Tina!
Thanks so much Amy – appreicate your visit and comment!
Tee, guessing this isn’t the first “Wow” you’ve received, so let me just say “Wow!” My favorite,
beak to beak. What a gift. Thanks
๐ Thanks Dar – the gift was truly being among them. Fantastic really!!
Truly vivid images of the blue heron!
Thanks John, they are truly gorgeous birds!
Great selection of birds.
Thanks Rabirius!
Love these photos…. Especially the last one “long hard climb”…and you are so right about the brilliant green background especially on “about to jump”!!!!
Thanks Girlfriend! That was my hubby’s favorite too.
The chicks are hilarious. Great photos.
They were indeed hilarious! Thanks Mary
Love this sequence, Tina…some fabulous shots ๐
Thanks Sue! Sorry, your original message went to spam for some reason ๐
Spammed again…. Aargh
Nice post. Thanks for your contribution to this week’s challenge.
My pleasure,and thanks back for the fun challenge!
Terrific shots, Tina. Fun to see them in their younger stages.
Thanks Jane-it was totally fun – so much so I got up before the sun not once but twice! ๐
This is brilliant
Thanks very much Rajiv!
I certainly don’t mind getting a look at more of these wonderful heron and egret shots of yours Tina!
Thanks very much de Wets family!
Love the first and that mid shot of the 2 chicks. Lucky to see the process like this. Well done.
Thanks very much Boeta – very lucky indeed!