This morning was a perfect one for being outside --temperature around 60, pure blue sky, low humidity--how often do we get that here in eastern North Carolina in June!! In the Field, I was seeing a few of one of my favorite migrators to our area--and one of the most colorful--the Blue Grosbeak. How striking the male is with their brilliant blue with an orange slice across the wing!. Seeing these guys and being able to get a photo in their natural habitat is always gratifying. (See the last picture below for this morning's shot). I was reminded of a comment made to me recently concerning the relative beauty of our birds compared to those in other countries. She said, "you know a lot about birds so why do you think it is that we don't have the same beautiful, exotic birds like those in South America, Africa, and New Guinea?" I thought to myself--"we do"- and I found myself in a longer discussion than I really wanted when I had to argue the case. I don't think I won the argument! But I have thought a lot about it since. I will concede that the Birds of Paradise, mostly found in New Guinea and eastern Australia are definitely exotic and beautiful, but I contend no more beautiful than our own colorful species. Certainly the parrots of Africa and South America are impressive in their bright hues, but have you seen our Painted Bunting or Cardinal, or Redstart!? I think that a part of the problem is that Americans don't really see some of our most beautiful birds very often or maybe never--you have to really go where they hang out and look patiently--you can't find them neatly caged up for you at the pet store--and thank goodness!! Aren't we lucky to live in a society which respects our birds too much to allow them to be captured and sold in the marketplace!! It has not always been that way. In our early history we almost wiped out several of our birds by killing and using them in hats and clothing--this included the Great Egret, the Black-crowned Night Heron, the Carolina Parakeet(which we did destroy), and the Roseate Spoonbill, among others.
One of the major reasons I like to photograph birds is their gorgeous coloration! To see the reds, yellows, greens, oranges, blacks, and blues in many shades makes every trip to their homes in field and forest a true adventure. So I want to share with you today some of my favorites from the past few years--look at the pics below and compare with the linked photos above from the other countries--or better yet, get out there in the field and see them the best way--in the wild!!
One of the major reasons I like to photograph birds is their gorgeous coloration! To see the reds, yellows, greens, oranges, blacks, and blues in many shades makes every trip to their homes in field and forest a true adventure. So I want to share with you today some of my favorites from the past few years--look at the pics below and compare with the linked photos above from the other countries--or better yet, get out there in the field and see them the best way--in the wild!!
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