How 'bout a few more bluebird pictures?

I must have missed, where's Resin gone?

Hack

He is having sporadic internet power. :-(

I thought he went somewhere for the week and was going to have limited access. Thought I saw that on the ID forum, but can't remember.

That's what he posted.

He's joining the Bluebird Convention. I think it is people who luv bluebirds, rather than a crashing of a Bluebird party ^_^

LOL, are we all confused enough now? ^_^

Yes, Resin is going to visit Dave and some bluebirds. Neither have good internet access as the Bluebirds have stolen all the laptops.

:-)))

Well I am back and had a good time. Thanks for keeping the thread warm.

These were taken on Friday morning, just before we left.

next

last

Very nice Dave! Love the "next" one!

How was the NABS Convention?

What did the bluebirds say?

Very funny, Iris. Actually there were several people there in bluebird costumes. One had a sign around its neck that read "more meal worms."

But the convention was fine, Pelle. It was hosted by the Pennsylvania State Bluebird Society this time. Next year it will be in Ontario, Canada. Several hundred people were there and everyone was friendly. We had several inches of rain on Friday and Saturday so people who had signed up for the outdoors tours suffered, but inside it was warm and dry and most interesting. They roped me in to taking some pictures and I am always disappointed with my work when I do that. I am hoping Photoshop will help me save some of them.

I did get to meet a few of the people I had gotten to know on the various forums I frequent, but not nearly as many as I had hoped. But my wife and I met a lot of nice people and had a very good time.

One somewhat interesting thing. One of the featured speakers used a Power Point slide show with maybe 50 bluebird pictures. All but two or three were my pictures that he had taken from one of my on-line sites (without permission). He did send me an email about three years ago asking if he could use one or two pictures of house sparrows and I gave him specific, limited permission (I still have his email and my response), but I guess he thought we would never run into each other. He apparently has been using the same presentation about 50 times a year for the past several years. Very interesting moment when he was introduced to me. I told him not to worry about it. What else could I do, really? Call him out in front of all those people? Besides, had he asked I would have said OK anyway, so long as it was for non-profit, educational purposes and he didn't pass the pictures off as his own. But I am fixing my sites so it will be impossible to download a picture unless I push a couple of buttons on my end first.

I will probably delete that last paragraph after it has been up for a few days.

Dave

This message was edited Sep 14, 2009 11:19 AM

Well that's just amazing that he'd do that. Does he know you were a lawyer? Perhaps you should just put together your own slide show and offer it to people for educational purposes. You can watermark everything and limit to whom it goes.

anyway, glad you had a good time.

Thanks Marna. I guess in a strange way I feel flattered that he liked my work enough to steal it.

And I do plan to make my own slide show. I have been working on the idea for more than a year, but it is so hard to select fewer than 100 or so, and if you have more than that I fear most people would lose interest. But for my own satisfaction if for no one else's, I am thinking of documenting the whole process: courtship, mating, nestbuilding, egg laying, brooding, fledging and each day of the first 100 days, showing the gradual molting of the juveniles. And I would have to include at least a few unusual pictures. I figure all that would take at least 500 shots.

So many pictures, so little time.

Breaking it down by category is an excellent idea, in my opinion. It would certainly help focus you and limit the number of items.

But yes indeedy, it's a huge task!

I'm amazed at what can be done with pictures. Your work would be very educational and help bluebirds that way. Glad that you had a good time. We do at iris conventions.

Your newest shots are beautiful Dave...I know I sound like a broken record but it's true! I can see why anyone would want to use your photos...for any reason. It was very classy the way you handled the situation at the convention. Glad you had a good time and hope you received the credit you deserve.

I am happy to hear you are putting your images in a slide presentation...I'm sure you have enough to do several of them!

Dave,
If you do get a slide presentation together. I would love to show it at one of our monthly Audoban meetings.. I seriously th many thought about your shots showin Papa defending his nestboxes anad then his ssad demise as a very real examle of the threats that hosps provide.

sheri / BirdieBlue

Hi Dave. Glad you had a good time. Sorry to hear someone used your photos without permission. However, I think it is about time that you take your act on the road. You have a lot of pent up knowledge that is shared with us but there is a larger market out there for your experience and expertise. Plus, I never met a lawyer that didn't like to talk. Go for it !!!!

As a legal professional you could somehow represent the Bluebird community (in your presentation) on a number of important issues, e.g., specie discrimination (those darn HOSP) , housing, food issues, etc. Well. anyway, just a brainstorming thought !

I was looking at the Flyer for the convention and noticed the one photo with a Bluebird sitting on the head of a Canada Goose. I thought he might have photoshopped it but then after further research I saw where the goose was actually a decoy. It was either a good decoy or I wasn't too observant.

Whatever you choose to do, I'm sure it will be done with perfection.

Welcome back Dave. That guy really should have asked for your permission to use more than a couple photos of yours . I can see why he'd want to use your photos, but he should have mentioned your name at least to give you credit for your beautiful work.

You really should take your work and do something with it like linth said. I never get tired of seeing your gorgeous bird photos.

Wow! Such nice things you people say. Thank you all so very much.

It was nice to get home and even nicer when the birds welcomed me back. The older juveniles are 101 days old today and one or two of them are almost finished with their molt. Here are a couple of shots taken about an hour ago.

Linth, the shot of the bird perched on the goose decoy was one of many great shots taken by Wendell Long, who has been shooting blue birds since back in the film camera days and is the unofficial NABS photographer. NABS uses several of his pictures on their web site and Bet Zimmerman uses several of his on her Sialis site. He was one of the people I was hoping to meet but unfortunately he wasn't there. I understand he has a farm in Ohio that is a near perfect setting for bird photography. Incidentally, Bet was at the convention so I did get to meet her face-to-face after many years of exchanging emails.

Birdie, when I get the CD put together you will get the first one.

Dave

This message was edited Sep 14, 2009 6:05 PM

As you can see, they are not all on the same schedule. Looks like the female juvenile has a little longer to go on her molt.

This is Mama. A couple more weeks for her too (at least).

Next to meal worms, I think they were happiest that I filled the sundial with water. Here two of the older juveniles take a bath.

Looks like they've splashed about half of the water out already.

Two more show up, wondering when the first two will be finished.

Young tempers flare...

And brother stomps off, figuratively

Of course, the younger juveniles were there too. I just couldn't fit them into my story line. Their friend, the house finch just watched.

I'v got a couple of questions, dave - 1) do the Bluebirds molt to a drab winter color like so many other birds (goldfinches come to mind).
2) Wht sisis that sundial ad where fo you havve it mounted. Those blues sure do love it!!
could you Email that guy and requestthat he give youcredit for your pictures?

Sheri....................I personally would love to see a coffee table 2d Dave Bluebirdbook!!

D… my photographer friend says the solution is to "take cruddier pictures."

:D

Birdie, the adults molt in late summer, at the end of the nesting season. By then most of their feathers are worn and faded. They do not change color but virtually all of their feathers fall out and are replaced in the process. They start by looking shaggy aroung the belly and it spreads upward. At the same time the larger feathers on the wings and back are being pushed out as new ones come in, somewhat like a child loses its baby teeth. The area around the neck and head is the last to get new feathers. That is where my adults are right now. When they are finished they will look as pretty as if they were painted.

The youngsters, of course are a bit different. When they hatch they are basically brownish gray and speckled with little white feathers that start to fall out when they are about 45 days old. At the same time their colored feathers start growing out. They will be finished when they are about 100 to 110 days old. The ones that hatch in the early spring will be looking like adults by mid summer and they will wear those feathers through the winter and throughout the following summer before they molt again.

I bought my sundial at an estate auction more than 30 years ago and it was already many years old when I got it. The top is solid cast metal, about 12 inches across. I think it is copper, but it may be bronze or some other alloy. In any event it is very heavy, maybe 20 pounds. The base is poured concrete that probably once looked like marble, weighs more than 75 pounds and stands 36 inches tall. It has moved with me five or six times (remember I was a career Marine and moved a lot). But at my age I don't pick it up any more. I shudder to think what one like it would cost today, but I have never seen one like it and I expect it will last and that my kids will fight over it when I am gone. Birds have always been attracted to it so I placed it near the nest box so I could get pictures. I don't ordinarily take pictures with man-made items in view but this and the nest box and the meal worm feeder are exceptions.

Here is a picture of my late Papa, taken in October.

This message was edited Sep 14, 2009 8:12 PM

This message was edited Sep 14, 2009 8:13 PM

Great to see you back Dave. I put my house up, now I check it and wait.

Hack

Awesome pictures Dave! Makes me want to put out another house for our Bluebirds next year. I'll have to find a good spot so I can keep watch like you do.

You're the greatest Dave. Even though you were a Marine (Air Force here) ^_^ Just kiddin of course...Semper Fi of course!!
I do thank yo for all that you so readily teach about the Blues. Are you really in process of working of a book? or should I not hold my breath

I am hoping to do a CD, Birdie, with maybe 500 pictures on it. No book! I have 10 or 15 books on the shelf that I haven't even read yet. I will never have time to do a book.

One of my grandsons attends UVA on an Air Force scholarship. He will graduate next May and immediately go on active duty to pay back a four year service obligation. His younger brother is still in high school but is very close to getting his pilot's license (he can fly a plane but he's not yet old enough to drive a car!!). He is going Air Force too.



And Birdie, whatta ya mean "were" a Marine. Haven't you heard? Once a Marine, always a Marine. (smiles)

Dave

Oh yea...sorry ^_^ ?JAG?

Sheri