Bob has just sent me a folder of his photos (lots and lots) that exemplify his bird and wildlife photography — and more besides – with the following note:
"Sorry to be so tardy accepting your challenge. I took these photos of the jays and crow t'other day. When I saw the one of your young Ukrainian friend in the beach grass, it reminded me of one I took of Mo a few years ago. When I went looking for it to send to you, I found others that I thought I'd send, also. You've been very generous sharing so many beautiful photos. It's high time I sent you some of mine. Some of these are quite old (the earliest is from 1966 ("Motif #1"). I don't have a blog, or any other place to post them. You're welcome to do what you want with them."
Well, it seems to me that if one is not Vivien Maier, the nanny who took 100,000 brilliant photographs she never showed anyone (see here for that extraordinary story), one takes photos to show them off (not to share, Bob – that's what people do at Alcoholics Anonymous: "Hi, my name's Dave, and I'm an alcoholic. I had a glass of wine last night after a full 24 hours of abstention.").
Anyway, I now have a shitload of lovely pix by Bob, so many that they will have to come in at least two posts. How about birds & wildlife et al., l followed by places et al. (with the et als. allowing for breaches of the general rule?
Let's start with some breaches, by way of introduction. Here is Bob in Morocco, where we first met:
and here is the photo with seagrass he refers to in his note accompanying the folder:
Mo, EBG, sand (Sep 2016)
Now to birds & wildlife:
Adolescent scrub jay
Feed me, mama
Jay eating bluebells
Adolescent scrub jay
Feed me, mama!
But it's not just jays. Being bird-brained and ignorant, it don't dare name this corvid:
Thibeaudeau
Robins & Squirrel
Squirrel
Gull
Bee in Poppy
Sea stars, Florence North Jetty, Oregon
But now we are drifting aways from 'wildlife', so I will finish Bob's contribution with something that is neither quite alive nor quite dead...
...that exists within, yet is not part of the landscapes to come in the next post.