I had a feeling that was one of the second brood and this shot confirms that – the bird on the right here is one of the first brood, recognizable by some sort of dried material on its eye seen in the shots of it helping to feed the second brood. (I was worried about a disease and briefly took down and disinfected the birdbath, but in recent pictures it hasn’t gotten worse for a month now.) I’m just guessing it is a she because it was being so helpful with the feeding and I only noticed one other one doing that. That may be no indication of gender so I’m just using my imagination. But I’m not surprised to see the youngsters learning from the older siblings as well as the parents.
Basic LR global tonal work (it was shot in full sun) and denoise, then into PS for minor cleanup on the perch and some dodging and burning. Cropped to 34% of the original frame. (They were perched on a branch propped up in an open area where they like to sit to watch for bugs.) The BG is dandelions – a bumper crop this year.
This is an adorable photograph. I love how close they are huddled together and the subtle splash of blue in the tail against the soft yellow drops in the BG work so nicely. Each looking in a different direction adds so much story to the photo.
Excellent image, Diane. It’s hard not to give sexes to the birds,even when you have no real idea. I’ve read some accounts of people who’ve run Bluebird box lines and they are an amazing helper species. We’ve witnessed it in the ones nesting on our property now and then and it’s always a joy to see. This image captures it very well.
Simply marvelous image Diane! Love seeing the three together and it’s great you can tell which brood they are from. The background is awesome too! Great aperture choice to get them all in focus. Superb!
I did play around with the BG a bit so the birds stand out a bit.
Not sure I like my version any better - they dont look like dandelions any more
It will always be the case the eyes go to the bright yellow rather than the detail in the birds.
Thomas, that’s a very good idea – I was bothered that the BG is lighter than the birds. I don’t think you made the dandelions too dark at all. I will do a revision when I get a minute.
Cuteness overload Diane! What can I say, but you’ve got a goldmine there with this little family.
I like where Huw was going with his edit, but my preference might be right between his and your original. Of course, always a matter of personal preference.
Another one of yours where the story adds to an already fascinating shot. Congrats on the EP, and I’m sure you’ll get some insect response to those dandelions!
Thanks, @Lon_Overacker , @Glenys_Passier and @Mike_Friel ! And @Huw_Thomas , I’ve added a RP from your suggestion! I think it’s an improvement and probably has leeway for further tweaking. (The paint never dries with this stuff!)
