Critique Connie's (Clix Pix) 52 Week Project for 2021 --- WEEK 15

[urbanflyer]

love the bow wave of your lady merganser!

 

[Clix Pix]

Thanks, Urbanflyer! Yeah, I was rather pleased with that shot -- I caught her at just the right angle and she was close, too, a real rarity. I liked the wave she was making, it definitely adds the right touch to this image. The Hooded Mergansers won't be around too much longer; they usually take off in April and migrate to some other location, and we don't see them again until October.

 

[LyndeeLoo]

Daffodils always make me smile. I absolutely love them, and Connie, the rest of the images are fabulous. I especially love that duck in the water. It's almost as though he's posing for you!

 

[Clix Pix]

Thanks, Lyndee! Yeah, I love daffodils, too! Their gorgeous bright yellow color and their interesting shape and their subtle scent.....delightful announcement that Spring is here!

The Hooded Mergansers in general are pretty elusive little critters.....they tend to skitter away when a human or animal is seemingly too close on the shore or on a nearby deck. They fascinate me because of the extreme differences in appearance between males (black-and-white with a large "hood" that they can raise and lower at will) and the females, reddish-brown with that spiky "hairdo"!

Alfred is my buddy and I am sure I'll be seeing him around a lot more now that the weather is nicer and as we move into warmer spring and then summer. He'll undoubtedly be making more appearances throughout this year's 52-week project! I'll miss the Hoodies when they've departed but I know they'll be back next fall.

 

[Gordo]

Week 11 - some pretty cool abstracts Connie.

Week 12 - nice set, the Mergansers are always as blast to see.

 

[Clix Pix]

Thanks, Gordon! I love me some abstracts.....!!! LOL! I have enjoyed being able to see and photograph the Hooded Mergansers over the past several months. They're a real treat!

 

[Binnur]

Very nice images in Week 12 Connie. I love the last one.

 

[Clix Pix]

Thank you, Binnur! I haven't seen the Hooded Mergansers now for a few days so I'm wondering if they have already departed for the spring and summer. I'll miss them! It's been so cold here the past couple of days -- winter's last hurrah, I guess -- that even the geese haven't been around. Happily the Cherry Blossoms, the Daffodils and the Tulip Magnolias have hung in there and we still have them to enjoy!

 

[Clix Pix]

Happy Easter! It's time to unveil Week 13's images, and surprise, surprise, it's all about flowers this time. Cherry Blossoms and Tulip Magnolias bursting out all over this past week have been a true delight to the senses.

I was thrilled when the Tulip Magnolias arrived.....sad to say, unfortunately a couple of cold nights and days have since pretty much wrecked them so I am thankful that I got the shots I did:

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In the neighborhood we have several wonderful trees which bloom for such a short time each spring, and I love to spend time shooting the resulting delightful blossoms:

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Experimenting with getting closer up:

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Sprouting right from the tree trunk:

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Tulip Magnolia almost fully open, but not quite yet:

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[LyndeeLoo]

Stunning!

Hindsight being 20/20, that's what I should have shot this week. I have two magnolia bushes in my back yard, and completely ignored them. And your cherry blossoms are lovely. I do love spring time!

Well done, Connie!

 

[Clix Pix]

Thanks! I love the blossoms and am surprised at how much hardier they are than the delicate magnolias. I love 'em all, though. Springtime is wonderful! Oh, yes, Lyndee, you should've paid a visit or two to your magnolia bushes -- maybe it's not too late? Go out there and take a look!

 

[Gordo]

Nice set for 13 Connie, wonderful colors.

 

[Clix Pix]

Thank you, Gordon! I love Spring --- all the lovely new flowers springing to life!

 

[Clix Pix]

Week 14 images -- yep, more flowers! Spring is bursting out all over around here! Already, though, the daffodils have said goodbye and the cherry blossoms as well, with a brief return of cold weather doing some damage to the magnolia blossoms as well. I did manage to get one shot of a pair of magnolia blossoms which survived without damage.

First up: more glorious cherry blossoms!

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The first tulip of the season made its sunny yellow appearance:

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Twin Magnolia blossoms:

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A red tulip emerging, almost ready to open:

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[Gordo]

Nice!

Love the colors on the Tulip. Striking.

 

[Clix Pix]

Thanks, Gordon! Yes, this past week was fun seeing all the flowers and shooting them! New stuff will be popping out this coming week while some of the other flowers have already gone away.....that's Spring for ya!

 

[Terri French]

Love all the blossoms from weeks 13 and 14. We are a few weeks behind, so your shots give me hope. We don’t have magnolias here.

 

[Clix Pix]

Thanks, Terri! The magnolias, which are so delicate, sometimes come-and-go in the blink of an eye, depending on weather conditions, so I have learned to get out there and take photos of them as soon as I see them because the opportunity may soon be gone. This time they were out there for only three or four days before cold weather set in again for a brief reappearance and damaged most of them. One tree had not yet really bloomed and so that is where I was able to snag the photo of the undamaged "twins."

Daffodils gone, tulips appearing around the community and now azalea bushes newly budding so that I will probably have some azaleas to show off in Week 15, as they're almost ready to pop right under my master bedroom window. Isn't Springtime wonderful?!!

 

[Terri French]

Thanks, Terri! The magnolias, which are so delicate, sometimes come-and-go in the blink of an eye, depending on weather conditions, so I have learned to get out there and take photos of them as soon as I see them because the opportunity may soon be gone. This time they were out there for only three or four days before cold weather set in again for a brief reappearance and damaged most of them. One tree had not yet really bloomed and so that is where I was able to snag the photo of the undamaged "twins."

Daffodils gone, tulips appearing around the community and now azalea bushes newly budding so that I will probably have some azaleas to show off in Week 15, as they're almost ready to pop right under my master bedroom window. Isn't Springtime wonderful?!!

Spring is wonderful if it ever comes. We are transitioning between winter and spring. Last week we had 4" of snow and lots of wind. But it quickly melted and now we are just chilly and windy. April is always iffy here.

 

[Clix Pix]

Week 15 seemed to be all about azaleas......and they still haven't actually fully bloomed yet!

After a rainy morning and afternoon:

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Another, sunnier day:

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On that rainy day, though, while I was shooting from the bedroom window to get that closeup of the azalea with the raindrops all over it, I was treated to a surprise as a neighbor stopped by to hang out with the azaleas:

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"Well, hello there! Aren't you the lady who used to put birdseed out for us on your deck? Where's the food now?"

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