“His eye is on the sparrow…” – something extra! – Derek Maul: Words, Photographs, and Food for the Journey

And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. – Genesis 1

Happy Wednesday, friends! If you missed yesterday’s 2018 Maul Family Newsletter please take a look. It’s a chance to catch up via an honest look at a challenging year.

THE BIRDS OF THE AIR:

For today I’m going to risk overplaying my “bird photography” hand. I posted some great shots in the Snow Day blog, but my feathered friends remain beautifully captivating and I just can’t look away.

There is one subtle shift, however. Instead of “this is a great photo of a bird,” I’m only sharing images that are truly exceptional. From now on the birds have got to “show me a little something extra” to make it onto these pages.

I was especially taken with the “coming and going” image I managed to grab around the big feeder. You can see birds on their way in, birds on their way out, and birds sitting around watching. The colors are stunning and the action barely begins to hint at the extent of the activity.

My other favorites include the “fluffed up” Eastern Bluebird, the two-picture sequence of another bluebird seeming to interact with the metal silhouette, and the Yellow Finch caught in flight.