Birders' Nest

[Iota]

Thanks for those images, owlice, all yet again so striking and full of life!

To single out only three ..

Yellow-bellied Greenbul

The light and the colours of that bird are just gorgeous!

That's just an extraordinary image!

An amazing looking bird! The colour of its wing blending with the water almost makes it look like it has a hole in it .. and the shape of its 'helmet' seems to suggest distant genetic connections with Darth Vader ..

And it's a testament to the versatility of your photos, that when a pine cone suddenly needs to be awarded within moments you have what could not be a more perfect presenter!   



Hope you too are feeling better soon!

[Iota]

And @Elgarian Redux, that's a great Christmas decoration! I'd have the same diamond lit eyes as your young neighbour were I to pass by outside!

[owlice]

Forget the pine cone. Just give me the beautiful squirrel, please.

Here ya go:

She would like you to hold her hand when crossing the street, please.

[owlice]

Thanks for those images, owlice, all yet again so striking and full of life!

Thank you; you're very kind!

An amazing looking bird! The colour of its wing blending with the water almost makes it look like it has a hole in it ..

How have I missed that all the times I've looked at that photo?!?! Thank you for pointing that out!!

(Darth Vader.... hahahahhaaha!!!)

Male Wood Ducks in breeding plumage are striking; the females are beautiful in their own right, too:

Hope you too are feeling better soon!

Thank you!

[Iota]

Such an elegant shot!

And yes, the females are indeed beautiful too. They hardly look like the same species as the males. AI tells me that the female has a more muted plumage to help her camouflage when nesting. Which makes a lot of sense.

[Elgarian Redux]

Here ya go:

She would like you to hold her hand when crossing the street, please.

I should have known you'd be able to come up with something like this. Amazing beyond words.

And who could resist holding her hand?!

[Elgarian Redux]

Male Wood Ducks in breeding plumage are striking; the females are beautiful in their own right, too:

I want to be clear: this is a photo of a painted wood sculpture of a duck on a wooden post. Right? It's beautifully done. Almost looks real.

[owlice]

Almost looks real.

hahahahahahaha!!

I found a couple of reindeer to add to your tableau; they will look wonderful in your front window!
(Maybe put some newspaper under them, however, or whatever one uses in place of newspapers these days.)

[Elgarian Redux]

hahahahahahaha!!

I found a couple of reindeer to add to your tableau; they will look wonderful in your front window!
(Maybe put some newspaper under them, however, or whatever one uses in place of newspapers these days.)

We can always find space for more reindeer. Thank you. These of yours are about 2 cm high, right?

[Elgarian Redux]

This morning one of the pheasants had an identity crisis, and seemed to imagine it was a blue tit, doing feeder acrobatics.

[Elgarian Redux]

Then, seeing it was a bright sunny day, we decided to stretch my post-virus covalescence to include hot chocolate in the Midland Hotel's sun lounge on Morecambe promenade, followed by a gentle few steps along the Stone Jetty. Lots of birds around, including these:

[Elgarian Redux]

The sunlight on the water was exquisite. Cold though.

[JBS]

Then, seeing it was a bright sunny day, we decided to stretch my post-virus covalescence to include hot chocolate in the Midland Hotel's sun lounge on Morecambe promenade, followed by a gentle few steps along the Stone Jetty. Lots of birds around, including these:

It just struck me that Dorothy Sayers used the name Morecambe as the name of two characters in Have His Carcase, which is set in a hotel and beach resort similar to Morecambe and the Midland Hotel, although her Wilvercombe is somewhere in the southwest of England.

To avoid spoilers for those who have never read it, I will only say the Morecambes are not a couple to be warm and fuzzy about.

[Elgarian Redux]

It just struck me that Dorothy Sayers used the name Morecambe as the name of two characters in Have His Carcase, which is set in a hotel and beach resort similar to Morecambe and the Midland Hotel, although her Wilvercombe is somewhere in the southwest of England.

To avoid spoilers for those who have never read it, I will only say the Morecambes are not a couple to be warm and fuzzy about.

Morecambe (the place) is not a location to be warm and fuzzy about either. Parts of it are superb: the views across the bay are exhilarating. The Stone Jetty is a new feature, built, I believe, with the help of an EU grant. The Midland Hotel is an fantastic Art Deco 1930s building that was top o' the trees in its day, fell into disrepair, and then was renovated a few years ago, so that now it's a pleasure to visit once more:



But get into the backstreets, and it's a different story. It's like two towns merged together.

[Iota]

The sunlight on the water was exquisite. Cold though.

Good to see you're back in action, Elgarian.

When that photo above is embiggened to full size, the curlew seems to be striking a very balletic pose. (Though I've learnt a bird on one leg is generally protecting itself from cold etc.)

It just struck me that Dorothy Sayers used the name Morecambe as the name of two characters in Have His Carcase, which is set in a hotel and beach resort similar to Morecambe and the Midland Hotel, although her Wilvercombe is somewhere in the southwest of England.

To avoid spoilers for those who have never read it, I will only say the Morecambes are not a couple to be warm and fuzzy about.

To most long term residents of this country over 50, I suspect the name Morecambe will summon up one person, Eric Morecambe. Half (but actually a lot more than half) of a comedy duo with Ernie Wise, they were probably the nation's favourite ever double act, with Eric Morecambe nationally attracting more unanimous fondness for a comedian than I can ever remember (... so finally a Morecambe that does inspire 'warm and fuzzy' feelings).

https://vimeo.com/479336770

[owlice]

https://vimeo.com/479336770

Iota, thank you so much for that link! That was delightful, and wow, Previn's comedic chops are impressive!

[owlice]

This morning one of the pheasants had an identity crisis, and seemed to imagine it was a blue tit, doing feeder acrobatics.

Are you not providing sufficient food for your pheasantosauruses, thus forcing them to raid the feeders?! I'm sure no matter how much food you put out, they will never consider it enough!

Then, seeing it was a bright sunny day, we decided to stretch my post-virus covalescence to include hot chocolate in the Midland Hotel's sun lounge on Morecambe promenade, followed by a gentle few steps along the Stone Jetty.

Yay!! Lovely to see the collection of waterbirds in your photos, and the sunlight on the water, too! And yay for feeling better and getting out!

[owlice]

Paying the thread tax with a smattering of new world warblers...

Wilson's Warber


Townsend's Warbler


Black-throated Gray Warbler


Pine Warbler

[Iota]

Iota, thank you so much for that link! That was delightful, and wow, Previn's comedic chops are impressive!

Haha yes, he seemed to be good at pretty much everything!

Paying the thread tax with a smattering of new world warblers...

Wilson's Warber


Townsend's Warbler


Black-throated Gray Warbler


Pine Warbler

Gorgeous, owlice! The lighting of the Pine Warbler against that dark background is as perfect as if it had been set up in a studio! And the Wilson's Warbler is a lovely little thing. I find the Black-throated Gray Warbler a very striking, elegant looking bird too. Always a colourful adventure your pics!