I live out in the country, so I drive through the country quite frequently. There's a lot of farmland around here. In fact, there's a farm field on the other side of the backyard. And just across the highway there's a fen.
Anyway, I have a full time job and work many miles away from where I live. This means driving through a lot of farmland on my way too and from work. There are many different routes to my job, and there are many different things to see on the way to or from work.
One of those things is a pond. I actually stopped there with the thought of photographing the swans who happened to be hanging out in the water. But I ended up spending more time focusing on the flock of red-winged blackbirds hanging around in the cattails in the marsh in front of the pond.
Red-winged blackbirds are a surreal bunch. I heard someone describe their call as sounding like "aliens." It's quite an experience of sight and sound. This is what one bird sounds like (click). Now imagine that multiplied by 10. It's like a sublime symphony.
Anyway, I have a full time job and work many miles away from where I live. This means driving through a lot of farmland on my way too and from work. There are many different routes to my job, and there are many different things to see on the way to or from work.
One of those things is a pond. I actually stopped there with the thought of photographing the swans who happened to be hanging out in the water. But I ended up spending more time focusing on the flock of red-winged blackbirds hanging around in the cattails in the marsh in front of the pond.
Red-winged blackbirds are a surreal bunch. I heard someone describe their call as sounding like "aliens." It's quite an experience of sight and sound. This is what one bird sounds like (click). Now imagine that multiplied by 10. It's like a sublime symphony.
I hope you go out and enjoy the harbingers of spring!
13 comments:
Sarah! Your photos are amazing!! You captured the light and feeling of this area so well. Good on you!
Thanks so much for taking the time to visit my blog and leaving such wonderful comments!!
Your blog is terrific.
Hugs
SueAnn
Oh I LOVE the RWBBs! They are lovely birds! Great captures!!
Beautiful shots! I love the one looking through the tall grasses with the red-winged blackbird in flight. Just beautiful!
Hi Sarah, I really enjoyed this post! Wonderful photos! There is a pond I ride my bike past every day and I see these red-winged blackbirds, but I've never been able to get a single good photo of them.
these are beautiful photos, they almost look like paintings :)
oh they are cute little fellas! great pics!... i find it so hard to capture birds.. they are too darn fast sometimes.
Sarah, Another blogger from MI - you have a lot of Natural beauty around you. I visited the UP for the first time this summer. My best friend was born and raised there in Eagle Harbor. The light and texture of your photos is wonderful. I have a "thing" for cat tails. The photos look surreal and the pond seems like a magical place.
Those are the coolest shots! I so wish I could take better photos!
Those photos are all just wonderful, Sarah. Red-winged blackbirds are gorgeous birds. We have cattails near our home...love 'em!
Aren't they just the most wonderful sound? To me they're the true spring bird. Great photos. :)
These are fabulous photos Sarah, so atmostpheric! Even though you have a long journey I bet you arrive home really relaxed after driving through such wonderful countryside!
Wow! Great photos! At first I wasn't sure if they were paintings. Really cool!
I don't live in the country - I live in a small town - but I have a 40 mile commute to my job in Cincinnati. So I pass a fair number of fields & ponds myself. These photos are really great. I'll have to see if these blackbirds show up in our fen!
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