First Images of Blue Birds

It's been over a year since I've lived here; I've seem many, but never around the house usually it's just been glimpses of them as I'm driving by fields or walking the dog. This morning I decided to go over to Lake Emily, a nearby lake, and see what bird activity was going on. The first birds I saw were Robins, they were busy hopping around a grassy picnic area plucking worms out of the earth. Even got a picture of that with worm in beak. Then I saw several geese in the lake slowly paddling along and honking occasionally.

Then I started to walk a path that follows the lakes edge over to the beach area. Well, I saw blue and stopped in my tracks. I couldn't believe it, didn't even think I'd see them there so this was a very nice surprise. I quickly aimed the camera and took a few pictures, but I was so far away I knew they weren't going to be very good; I spotted a rock under a tree near the fallen branches they were perched on while they spotted their insect prey. And of course I scared them all off. Well I waited, and waiting, my butt got sore sitting on the rock it was pointy not flat, my knees got sore too in the squatted position and my foot even fell asleep waiting. I argued with myself wanting to move on, but the other part of me said no, just wait a few minutes longer and they'll be back. So I did, and so did they. Unfortunately they didn't come as close as I had hoped, but I was still excited about getting to see them as close as I did. I really had to crop into the original picture to get these compositions.



And after I was done there, I decided to keep on walking, I saw some other birds I'm not sure what they are called, like the one below, and I saw several red winged black birds, woodpeckers, chickadees, crows and then I spotted the Sand Hill Crane. The sun coming through the wing was a nice surpise, I did make this a little more dramatic by using the flashlight lighting effect which darkens the edges and brightens the bird. (same thing is on the middle blue bird)