How can there be a best of anything in 2020, you say. To quote my young friend, “The only thing that’s open is nothing!” Isn’t this another year that will live in infamy, similar to Queen Elizabeth’s recent personal annus horribilis. It’s true that I couldn’t take any foreign birding trips and had to stick to the local patches, but even those gave up some decent shots.
It seems I have quite a number of shots of passerines, peaking out among the leaves and only partially visible. But isn’t this just the way of our birding lives; fleeting glances of beauty, here for a second and then gone forever. Sounds like there’s a sermon in there, waiting to be preached.
I’ve chosen the inevitable “F” shots, feeding, flocking, and flying. Birds just being birds while we voyeurs, aka birders, watch and shoot.
I know it’s just a Mallard, but if you put the accent on the second syllable and look very closely you’ll see some real beauty in that common puddle duck.
I try to avoid the classic poses or portrait views, however some sneak anyway by virtue of color, background, or other photographic features. I don’t usually get a clear shot of the Painted Bunting in the “wild” away from the Corkscrew Swamp bird feeder, so I’ve included that lucky view and marvel again at this spectacular bird.
The Short-tailed Hawk shot is not technically anything special, but reminds me of my first sighting of this nemesis bird. Everyone was reporting this bird in Florida, except me. Finally I learned to look up, way up and found him circling in a kettle of vultures. Looking up; you’d think that would come naturally to a true birder. Sounds like the makings of another sermon.
Lastly, there are shots that just strike my fancy because of color, texture, background, or lighting. In particular I like that dark Grackle posed on nature’s blues and greens, and that Bluebird in a similar settin
There’s only six shopping days left before Christmas and perhaps a last chance for a few more lucky shots. Until next year, hope your Christmas and New Year’s holidays are joyful and safe, and thank you again for your interest and comments over this last annus horribilis.
Excellent shots, all. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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Thanks, and to you and yours also.
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Lovely flight shot of the Sandhill Crane! (Others are great too.) William
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It was a lucky flyover at a Florida marsh. Thanks.
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Dear Steve,
Thank you very much for another year of excellent (feels like you’re there) photos.
Thank you, too, for the Best Birds of 2020. I’m glad you did not include a photo of the bird brain of the year. There’ll be lots of those coming!
Have a good Naples Christmas.
Martha Menees
Sent from my iPad
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Merry Christmas Martha. So good to hear from you and glad you’ve enjoyed the photos. Next time you’re in our neck of the woods I’ll take you birding to see these creatures in real time, including some bird brains, I’m sure.
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Sometimes we overlook the local / the common / the ‘what we see every day’ in favour of the exotic. One thing this pandemic has done is force us all to take better note of what is in our environment – which, after all, is exotic to someone else! Your photographs are a joy to see – every one of them!
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Exactly right. We forget there’s a worldwide audience on this incredible web. Thank you and have a wonderful holiday and New Year.
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Difficult to choose the best bird photo shot. Our Nature is SO colourful and varied, Thanks to COVID , we too in India, in the cities got to hear bird calls and see a few.
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Thank you. Perhaps my favorite bird trip was to your country. Great birds and people.
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