May 08, 2012

Texture Tuesday.



I'm so pleased at the variety of birds at the feeders this year.

And many are so colorful --

American Goldfinches and House Finches, Yellow-bellied woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Cardinals, Nuthatch, Sparrows (of course,) one lone Robin, Rosy-breasted Grosbeaks and even our Baltimore Oriole couple has returned to the farm. I need to remember to pick up some oranges as a treat for them this week.

This is a photo of one of many American Goldfinches that visit the feeders throughout the day. They seem to prefer black sunflower seed and eat from the platform feeders I made from old picture frames (tutorial to follow shortly.)

I believe this is a little female, but I ❤ the males' deep black cap and shoulders, which contrasts perfectly with their lemon-yellow body. And she seems to have picked up a bit of fluff -- cottonwood seed? -- on her left foot. Who knows where Miss "Jenny" {Cottonwood} Seed will choose to deposit Mother Nature's little kernel of life?  Or is it building material for her nest?

What birds are frequenting your feeders this spring?

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Pat Texture @ 100% Multiply
Chase Texture @ 48% Lighten
Xeveria Texture @ 80% Overlay
Erase all textures from Goldfinch
Duplicate copy background image @ 25% overlay

( I've been dealing with a very slow computer since last week and am doing my best to get back to you lovely people that have commented over the past few days. I have yard work to get done today and won't get in much computer time, but am shooting for tomorrow and hoping my computer is back to somewhat normal. Thanks for your patience. xoxo)

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99 comments:

  1. We have so many of the finches, the Goldfinch and Redpoles feeding right now. My son in law mentioned tonight while we were at grandson's track meet that they had had an Indigo Bunnting at their feeders. I would love to see one again. We had a pair as frequent feeders a few years ago. The blue is so gorgeous.

    Don't you love watching the birds? Their own little "community" gathering each day . . .

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  2. This is so beautiful; a perfect capture and amazing processing results!! I have the hardest time capturing our birdies... any tips? I guess I'm used to and prefer super-close-up photography and haven't learned much else. Thanks for sharing this!

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  3. This is a beautiful bird.

    By the way, I always listen to the singing of sparrows each time I wake up.

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  4. Oh gorgeous! A perfect pick of a perfect little bird and the texture work is just fantastic! In love with this!

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  5. First things first before blog hops, :D I showed how to my daughter how you made your feeder and she's into it. We'll see, hahahha...

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  6. love it! beautiful and arty photo!
    the texture is equally beautiful.

    have a great week ahead!

    xoxo

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  7. What a beautiful little bird....love Ria....xxx

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  8. I am absolutely ecstatic to have met such an interesting blogger...I suppose you know it yourself it's hard to discover good blogs to follow and quality bloggers that actually know what they are writing about. I've already told you how much I like your honest and colorful posts :). I can brag myself about a family of swallows that visit me every year and live in my basement from May til September. WE love them dearly.

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  9. I love goldfinches. They always seem to congregate in droves when the dandelions are showing off their seedheads!! Lovely! Love your picture...stunning.
    Joan

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  10. I love finches and I find this piece enchanting :).
    Stay inspired!

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  11. Lovely image, Nancy! The Goldfinches are beautiful birds.

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  12. Fantastic blog! First time here and loved your space. Beautiful shot!
    Now, following you. Hope to see you on my blog:)

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  13. Great pic! I was thrilled to see a gold finch at my bird bath last week! Haven't seen one in the yard in years:@)
    PS-make sure you clear your cache (Google if not familiar) if you haven't in a while. Might help your computer situation.

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  14. Bird ID..ing is on my list of things to do at my place. Your lessons are quite valuable.

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  15. Nice capture Nancy! I'm not having a whole lot of luck with my feeder- too many cow birds around here.

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  16. Beautiful, Nancy! I just love their sweet song and bright color.

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  17. First of all, the texture is really nice, as is Ms. Finch. We hung a goldfinch feeder this year and have been rewarded with lots of them. I also see house finches, downy woodpeckers, cardinals, chickadees, white breasted nuthatch, along with every variety of sparrows, grackles, starlings, doves, and last night I saw a tufted titmouse for the first time. We put up the hummingbird feeder last night, so hopefully they will be back soon.

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  18. Believe out or not...butterflies...tons and tons of butterflies are flocking to my yard. All kinds. And I don't have any plants that would attract them.
    Perhaps it's a sign for us...that things are going to be ok...husband thinks I'm a dork...meh.

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  19. If you've never tried it, orioles love grape jelly. I rigged a feeder with a small dish - it can't be too deep - and they would empty it daily!

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  20. Beautiful photo and post-processing! We have cardinals, jays, grackles, downy woodpeckers and earlier had some finches...I tried a butterfly feeder this week, and am waiting to see if I get any of them! I may have to try the grape jelly too!

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  21. What a stunning picture!! Love the texture on and the color and the cable - all together a stunning picture!

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  22. Oh, this is SUPER!!!! What a beauty she is!

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  23. Great finch shot, Love the texture.

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  24. Fantastic texture work ! Great job ! And a beautiful bird. Kind regards, Synnöve

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  25. I love your capture of this little finch! And the processing is just perfect to light up this little bird. Lovely. also, thank you so much for stopping by my blog. Have a wonderful day!!

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  26. Beautiful image the texture complements the finch perfectly!

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  27. We don't have any birds right around my house, no trees in our yard - strange, I know. However, my mom's house has tons of birds (she lives at the end of our dead end road). And loves to have lots of feeders out. Unfortunately, the deer have been eating all of her feed recently, so she has cut back, which keeps most of the birds out of sight. We have 3 different types of woodpeckers around here though, and they are fun to watch. I never realized how big some of them are!

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  28. Beautiful photo's and texture work. I too love the gold finches, we have beautiful finches with red feathers and one of my favourites the blue wren. Most of them have flown away with our crisp Autumn season. Have a great week!

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  29. Love Goldfinches (they are the WA state bird)... their bright pop of color always makes me smile with I get a glimpse of one... hope your computer woes are short lived, that's such a pain!

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  30. Beautiful picture and processing!

    We don't have a bird feeder, we live in an apartment. But one day, when I have a yard I will have one :)

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  31. I had computer woes last week. Actually, it wasn't the computer but the wifi connection. All the rain clouds really slowed it up. So far this week has been slightly better.

    Great finch shot - they are such cute little birds!

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  32. Love the watercolor look you achieved!

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  33. The finches almost changed color overnight. I enjoy their daily arrivals at the feeders.

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  34. she's adorable! you get some great summertime birds!

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  35. So pretty. I'm hoping for a longer lens for my birthday for bird shots. My mother saw an Indigo Bunting at our feeders yesterday. Our most common visitors are cardinals, chickadees, tufted titmouse, cow birds and squirrels, of course!

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  36. Great shot and processing.

    Have a wonderful week.

    Capture Life!
    Kathy

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  37. I think you must have stole all my birds because when I returned home from the UK they all seemed to have disappeared. We have the occassional goldfinch and dove stop by but I'm wondering where my titmouse, chickadees, cardinals, junko's and woodpeckers have all gone.

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  38. Ahhh, love this, and am missing my old falling apart bird feeder that we left at our old house, well because if we had tried to bring it, it would have fallen apart. Need to get another one....I look forward to that tutorial!!

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  39. Is it true that orioles are very territorial and come back to the same (yard) each year? I know we have orioles near me, but I never see them in my yard. I've tried oranges and jams...nada.
    We barely have hummingbirds either and we have a feeder and lots of flowers.

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  40. i love finches... of any kind! what a beautiful shot!

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  41. Oh, that is remarkable Nancy...I also love how you tell what you've done to it. I've just started playing with photoshop-still concerned my photos will be eaten by the program never to be seen in it's original again!

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  42. So beautiful! Its giving a nice pose too! Have a fantastic week Nancy:)

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  43. I was just reading your 'about' tab. I used to live in Kimball, Nebraska. It was nice. I could go back there.

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  44. this photo is fabulous! I put out the thistle feeders yesterday, and now I wait.

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  45. I'm lovin' all my backyard birds now ... so colorful .. not enjoying my preying hawk though .. he has gotten so bold as to land on my patio by the feeders. I know he needs to eat as well but please go somewhere else!

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  46. She's a beauty!

    I'm being overrun by mockingbirds and grackles.

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  47. beautiful texture work, and great capture of that little bird!

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  48. Beautiful shot! We don't feed the birds - there's plenty of food about - but offer some housing (6 humble abodes) and water. Sparrows and tree swallows are residents this year.

    Slow computer, s-o-o-o-o-o many commenters! Good luck trying to keep on top of it all!

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  49. oh wow that is a perfect shot a very pretty little bird to isit your feeder :)

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  50. Another beautiful picture! I love what you have been doing with the textures...

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  51. A-mazing! Such a beautiful shot, of a pretty little bird! The texture is just LOVEly Nancy)

    Thank you so much for linking up w/ us for Finagle a Foto. It really is an honor to have ya!

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  52. So lovely to read about all the birds your get over there. I love the little Goldfinch you show here. The yellow plumage shows up really well on the textured background!

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  53. I have such a soft spot for birds...and your photo is so lovely...thanks for stopping by to comment on my yellow poppy...I guess yellow is the color of the day!

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  54. Hi Nancy, your photograph is out-of-the-park awesome!

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  55. What a great shot! They are such pretty little birds.

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  56. Beautiful! I really enjoyed seeing how you used each texture to achieve your final photograph. Wonderful detail on the bird as well.

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  57. We saw a yellow finch flutter by close to the house the other day and I so hoped it would find its way to my back yard - I am tiring of the brown robins. Very pretty capture.

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  58. Our variety is different: tons of robins, song and English sparrows, house finches, gold finches, chickadees, cardinals, grackles, mockingbirds, crows, and juvenile hawks everywhere I look.

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  59. Darling little birdie! Beautiful photo!

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  60. Beautiful bird and equally as good on the processing front. Well done
    Shaun Valleys ShutterBug

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  61. What a pretty little fella.. I have filled up my feeder twice but I keep getting to many pigeons. What's a girl to do..

    Hugs~

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  62. That is a beautiful wee bird and your picture is lovely too. You are so lucky to have so many lovely little birds visiting you. I quite envy that. :))

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  63. Oh Nancy nice texture. It is raining here so no yard work for me YEAH!!!
    Slow computers it must be the season. Take care B

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  64. Great photo of a beautiful little bird.

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  65. Fabulous photo! I've seen lots of purple finches around but no gold. Please send some my way! :)

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  66. All kinds of birds here and new one arriving daily! I also have goldfinches and they are so lovely in the springtime!

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  67. I don't know if I know what a Goldfinch looks like. We have desert birds here in Utah. But I do have doves and quails in my yard at times, if my dog doesn't scare them over the fence. LOVELY PHOTOGRAPH of the Goldfinch perched sideways! Loved it! You have a great photo eye! ~ Renae

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  68. Oh my! You have quite a few comments here! How do you keep up?

    Beautiful little girl with a pretty background :)

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  69. love all those summer birds, especially the pretty yellow finches.

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  70. I wish we'd get such variety at our feeders! Lately, we've been seeing downey (or hairy) woodpeckers, sparrows (yawn), one lone hummingbird, starlings, blue jays, and cardinals.

    Know what you mean about limited computer time! It's been happening a lot to me lately.

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  71. What a sweet model :) Love the processing!

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  72. Love this shot. The rebar makes for good hanging on : ) I wish I could get a good woodpecker shot this year. I hear them all the time.

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  73. Gorgeous finch! I love the capture and the processing!

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  74. I LOVE all the birds that are showing themselves around here now too.
    We have several bird house...different kinds...and bird feeders, and it makes me happy to watch them.

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  75. Interesting summer birds... and it's yellow! Take care :)

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  76. It's a beautiful little bide to see.... I love your image.

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  77. Beautiful image with wonderful text!


    Thanks for sharing

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  78. Just beautiful! Great shot Nancy!

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  79. Beautiful shot Nancy! Love your texture work and thanks for telling us your recipe :) We have on the Tiny Ten, Mr. Tanager(3 actually)and his two girlie girls, Phoebes(FeeBeeFeeBeeFEEBEEEEE), Mr. Baltimore, Nuthatches, Bluebirds, Hummers, Gray Catbird, Goldfinches, House Wren and Carolina Wren, Turkeys, Brown Creeper, Cardinals, Titmousers, Chickadeedees, Red-Winged Blackbird, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Downys, Hairy, Red-Headed Woodpecker, Pileated Woodie, assorted Sparrows, Morning Doves, Blue Jays, and the neighbor's Pigeons. Whew!

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  80. hanging room only in my yard. we are two lucky girls!!

    great image!!

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  81. Great captures!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  82. I loved the picture. And the explanation on the bird. I always learn a bit more, and enjoy it a bunch.

    As for the work outside... it never ends, right? I know what you are talking about.
    xoxo

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  83. Love this!!! The texture you added is great and that birdie is so pretty! Great capture!

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  84. Lovely! Great capture and texture work! :D

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  85. Wow! - What a great capture. Such a pretty bird. The texture looks fantastic as well.
    I saw one of these the other day land on my Azalea bush but when I moved it flew and of course I didn't have my camera handy.

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  86. Wow Nancy!!!!!! Gorgeous texture work!!!

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  87. Simply beautiful
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/blacksticksblue/

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Thank you so much for being here. I appreciate your thoughts and opinions.