When I first posted this over eight years ago, I didn't really expect the accolades, but I figured that my luck and this male bluebird's pose would get some reaction.
This is one of those images that I will always remember capturing. The lower side of Mt. Diablo; cherry trees in bloom at the Ranch in the background, and I spotted some lichen on a branch that I thought would be interesting. I walked up a slight incline to get at eye level, aimed, and this extremely handsome male Western Bluebird decided to find out what I was doing. Yes, I'm afraid that was all there was to it: composition was ready made; background superb, perch attractive but not overwhelming, and the bluebird in his prime in breeding season... Wow!
I must say that I have five Western Bluebird images end up in publications, and this was not one of them. This image, about which James once said that I had used a whole box of Crayolas, was never asked for. However, one person from Flickr actually said that once day he would visit just to get an image like this, and he did! That was Gilles, but I'm not sure if he succeeded in late February 2020: bluebirds are at their best in late May.
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