Suburb-The Changing Seasons V2 (February 2017)

Podium

Podium Haiku (Parked)

Lonely at the top
Parked upon a podium
Solitary view

***
Here is my second post of the year for Cardinal Guzman’s monthly photo challenge The Changing Seasons. The picture pairs coastal and inland elements. About five hours from the beach, this seagull (along with a small flock) has settled at a local shopping mall parking lot. Parking lot poles have become a part of this ring-billed gull’s natural environment! It still seems strange to see an ocean bird perched on the mall light pole when the shore is so far away. The expanse of gray asphalt must look like the ocean from up above!

Looking up gulls in my bird guide, I learned that the ring-billed gull is actually a widely seen gull found on all bodies of water and it is common to my area in the winter. Most interesting to me, the guide says these birds are often seen loitering around parking lots looking for handouts of food! Smart birds!

Shadow Evidence

Shadow

Shadow Haiku (Proof)

Evident shadow
Undeniable display
Proof of existence

*This is my response to the daily post weekly photo challenge with the theme of shadow.
The prompt is now on Wednesdays instead of Fridays, but I’m still in the habit of it being a weekend challenge. I recently posted a similar picture for another challenge where shadow was the color prompt. You can see that post, which also includes my shadow on the same bridge, by clicking here! Happy Saturday everybody! I hope that you, and your shadows, have a great weekend!

The Lonely Recycle Blues

Recycle

I am trying to catch up with the daily post weekly photo challenges. This Friday, the theme was solitude. Two Friday’s ago, the theme was recycle or repurpose. In my city, we have these big, bright blue trash cans to use for recyclables along with our regular big, navy blue trash cans. This lonely little song sparrow, standing in solitude on a repurposed trashcan stage, may be singing the Recycle Blues!

Yellow Rumped Warbler (CYW-Yellow)

Yellow Rumped Warbler Mid Landing

Do you see the yellow on this bird’s side? Last April, I saw this flash of yellow up in a tree. I managed to get a few pictures of the moving bird, and then looked it up in my bird guide when I got home. It was a Yellow Rumped Warbler!

It was pretty high up in the tree and it was not sitting still, but I could see spots of yellow that intrigued me.

Turning to Show its Yellow Rump Feathers

Here is a closer view. He is hiding his head, but you can see the yellow side and the yellow rump-patch that I was able to use for identification! I was very excited to add this bird to my list of sightings! According to my guidebook, this bird would usually be seen around here in the winter, but I saw it in the spring. And, I haven’t seen one since.

Yellow Rump in Closer View

These may not be perfect bird photos, but I still like them. So, maybe you will enjoy them too!

*to see more yellow themed photos, check out JNW’s Color Your World Photo Challenge: Yellow