A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking,
because its trust is not in the branch, but in its own wings.
– Unknown
In the Twists of a Tree
Patchwork Egret
Just having a little fun with an egret photo….
Route 66 Heron
This is my first post of 2026- time flies when you are having fun (or are busy and overwhelmed). But I am still here! And still taking photos. I’m active in 7 photo groups and have leadership roles in two- I enjoy it all, but sometimes my blog posts suffer.
This started out as a night heron, photographed on the Newport Beach pier- but somehow I got the idea one night to dress him in Route 66 garb. So here he is- ready to go out on the town in 1960!
Egret Encounter
Like everyone else that enjoys watching birds at lakes, I have seen and photographed egrets many time. This time however, was more of a close encounter than I expected. I was turned away from the water shooting a tree, when Lonnie said “Egret!” as it flew seemingly right in front of us. Then it looped back and made a right turn heading right at us. It looped back and then made its way along the shoreline to the other end of the lake. I had my 300 zoom lens on my camera and was able to capture most of this encounter, but the ones where it headed straight at us are a bit blurry. Later, when I looked at my photo of the tree, the egret can be see between the branches as it headed our way.
Bye-bye Blackbirds!
I love red-winged blackbirds! I have seen them often at Willow Lake, but this was the first time I had seen them at Watson. They flew in fast and disappeared into the grasses along the shore, and then flew away just as fast. In between, I could hear them inside the weeds. Sometimes other flocks would join them- and then off they’d go. It’s a successful shoot for me if the red shows on their wings. Getting a good closeup shot is on my bucket list!
Besides the blackbirds, we saw a bald eagle, a great blue heron, an egret, many ducks, and possibly two loons!
Untethered Reality
or Distorted Memory or Free Spirit or When Ravens Dream or …… ? Coming up with a title is so much fun….
Foggy Morning at the Draw
Our second day of shooting started well before sunrise- in fact Lonnie and I did the half hour drive from Bisbee through the farmlands in complete darkness and then dense fog as we got closer. We were the first to arrive and sat in the car waiting for light and our fellow photographers to arrive. The cranes began to vocalize as the first rays of light appeared and soon were headed out to feed on the nearby farms. The dense fog made the cranes almost invisible, but this image is actually one of my favorites.
BIF
I have just returned from photographing sandhill cranes at Whitewater Draw in southern Arizona. Lonnie and I went with a group of people from my camera club- and this was my very first time seeing the cranes, as well as photographing birds in flight. It was an amazing, bucket list type adventure- such a wonderful escape from stress! I highly recommend taking a break from the news, soaking yourself in nature and just watching the birds. What does BIF mean? Birds in Flight of course!
Flying In
A cold morning walk at Willow Lake today. . .
Visitor
We had a dusting of snow this morning- along with a busy flock of yellow-rumped warblers! The snow was melting away as I went outside with my camera, but the warblers still swarmed the feeders as I snapped photos. This little guy waited in the willow tree (along with a few friends) for awhile, then back to the feeder.
Everyday
Just a random everyday scene at the beach. . .
In Dreams
I haven’t had a beach day for almost two years- just in dreams.
Sunny Morning, Snowy Day
A week ago, I spotted this ladderback woodpecker, all puffed up as it warmed up in the morning sunshine.
Hidden in Plain Sight
Spotted at Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs a few weeks ago!
We actually saw two nesting hummingbirds while we were there. I’ve never been so close to one before- it was a real treat.
Color Storm
This image started out as a raven in a snowstorm, but evolved into something else as I played with layers and colors. Maybe a raven in a color storm? A pastel raven? This illustrates that, in my world, the photo is just the beginning.
melinda anderson photography 