After celebrating the king of all birds yesterday at the Wren Festival, I feel it only fair to give a nod to some other feathered friends, so here are a few fabulous birds I’ve spotted on my travels.
This chirpy little robin, a true harbinger of winter, followed me on a wintry hike around Howth Head. He was quite far off, but his song filled the air and his vibrant red feathers brightened up bare branches with a welcome flash of colour.
Not at all chirpy and more than a little bit scary, this massive hawk swooped over my shoulder in Van Cortland Park in New York and ate a squirrel right in front of me.
This dashing white peacock lives in the grounds of St. John the Divine in northern Manhattan and could be a contender for the title King of all Birds – he’s certainly got the outfit for the job.
Finally, this little guy was a contender in the annual Georgetown Power Tool Drag Races in Seattle last year. He didn’t win the race, but he won my heart.
Now it’s time to feather your own nest with your interpretation of this week’s travel theme. If you would like to join in (everyone’s welcome!) here’s what to do:
- Create your own post and title it Travel theme: Birds
- Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
- Get your post in by next Thursday, as the new travel theme comes out on Friday
- Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date on the latest weekly travel themes. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS
Knock me over with a feather!
xxx Ailsa
“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.” – Chinese proverb
“Those little nimble musicians of the air, that warble forth their curious ditties, with which nature hath furnished them to the shame of art.” – Izaak Walton
Where's my backpack? 
This is truly lovely
Thanks Rajiv! 🙂
Pingback: Travel Theme: Birds | Ese' s Voice
Your hawk is magnificent, Ailsa! And that white peacock…like out of another world… Beautiful!
These’re some of the ones I have noticed here, there: http://esengasvoice.wordpress.com/2013/12/27/travel-theme-birds/
What a beautiful array of birds you found, Ese – that second one is my favourite, like a big pink dinosaur with wings. xxx
oh yes, this will be fun! i loved all of these, thought htat last one was funny! is it standing on a peruvian ceramic? will be back soon! z
It’s actually on a skateboard, Z. It made me laugh out loud. 🙂
make that twice! the laugh is infectious!
Great theme again, Ailsa! That hawk is magnificent and the peacock wonderful…but the last one…special species?! Just marvellous!
That last one was definitely one of a kind, Leya, I was lucky to have had a rare sighting of that very elusive bird. 😉
😉
Oh, I forgot the robin, who always is my favourite!
Me too, they’re filled with personality. There’s a big fluffy robin perched outside my window right now, I just gave him a little food to keep him warm on this frosty night.
A good thing to do – I’m sure he will sing some extra for you in spring!
Hi Ailsa and everybody friends
here my choice this week
http://max510.com/2013/12/27/weekly-travel-theme-birds/
Oh Max, these are gorgeous, so colourful and cheery. That toucan is stunning and oh my, how I long to visit the Galapagos, your photos are amazing. Those white birds look like they’re kissing! 🙂 xxx
Thank you very much Ailsa !
Galapagos are really wonderful !
Those white birds are two Albatros in love ! 😉
Ciao ciao
Max
Pingback: Oh, to be a Bird! | Zeebra Designs & Destinations
What shots! I’m jealous and glad for you 😉
Birds of prey are proud and fierce, yet beautiful. A great catch, Ailsa. And the peacock is very pretty. That last one made me grin. 😀 Thanks for another nice challenge!
Here are my birds: http://drieskewrites.wordpress.com/2013/12/27/travel-theme-birds/
The peacock is my favorite!
http://playamart.wordpress.com/2013/12/27/oh-to-be-a-bird/ how’s this for soon? for once i am not tardy and i am present for sure! checking out of the hotel now and then offline! glad i came up for air when your theme came through!
Pingback: Birds (Ailsa’s travel theme) « Jag gör världen vackrare
My bird is made of paper. It’s difficult to get an interesting picture of real birds…
http://vackrare.com/2013/12/27/birds-ailsas-travel-theme
Pingback: Travel Theme: Birds | Postcards from
here’s mine Ailsa http://smallbluegreenfotos.wordpress.com/2013/12/27/travel-theme-birds/
love your robin and white peacock 🙂
Pingback: Joyful Reflections (with Birds) | Jaspa's Journal
Another fun collection, Ailsa. Thanks! The robin makes me think of Christmas’s spent with Rich’s family back in the UK, but the guy in the last photo is my favourite! Here’s my attempt…
http://jaspasjourney.wordpress.com/2013/12/27/joyful-reflections-with-birds/
Pingback: Travel theme: Birds | It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see - Thoreau
Pingback: Travel Theme: Birds | Edge of the Forest
http://shyraven23.wordpress.com/2013/12/27/travel-theme-birds/
Pingback: Travel Theme – Birds | alien shores
That hawk is amazing, but that last shot, well, that bird wins the prize. 😉
Pingback: 12-27-13 Travel Theme: Birds | The Quotidian Hudson
You know I love the SJD peacock. Here is a cousin for your hawk…
http://quotidianhudsonriver.com/2013/12/27/12-27-13-travel-theme-birds/
Great Theme! I love birds. 12 years ago I owned 27 different species INDOORS. It became overwhelming. All of my photos of this time are on paper not digital sadly but I will watch and admire! I have ONE that I took in Lancaster County !
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I have thousands of bird images but no time to filter them so I am putting up my nature album which has a couple of bird images…
http://mahons.org/nature/
What camera/lens do you use Ailsa? They are lovelt images
Pingback: Travel theme: Birds | dadirridreaming
the humble robin is my favourite Ailsa, I love the setting of bare branches … the others are magnificent … your challenge has caused me hours of fun today going through some bird photos of 2013 … http://dadirridreaming.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/travel-theme-birds/
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Pingback: The Birds & their Joy! | A Crazy Chef
They say… birds of a feather flock together… I may have to show you a few Dublin birds… 😉
Excellent shot and framing!
A few of my bird pics are here:http://forestwoodfolkart.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/travel-theme-birds/
Pingback: Travel Theme-Birds | WoollyMuses
My travel theme for this week:
http://woollymuses.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/travel-theme-birds/
Hi Ailsa, Great robin. Birds everywhere and I hadn’t even noticed half of them. Here’s my set.
http://pdjpix.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/birds/
regards Peet
Pingback: Travel Theme: Birds | Foto Challenge
Here is my bird:
http://geriatrixfotogallerie.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/travel-theme-birds/
Pingback: Travel theme: Birds | Cee's Photography
Here is my entry for this week! ENJOY!
http://ceenphotography.com/2013/12/28/travel-theme-birds/
Pingback: Sunday Stills, the next challenge: Birds and Travel theme: Birds Birds | Ritva's Art - Photography
Pingback: Travel theme: Birds | Ritva's Art - Photography
I don’t have that many bird photos, here are few from my travels: http://sillarit.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/travel-theme-birds/
Birds from my vacation 2 weeks ago http://simonesnatur.blogspot.de/2013/12/travel-theme-birds.html
Pingback: Weekly Travel theme: Birds « Leya
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Here’s mine – from my garden, Walsrode and Scarborough!
http://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/weekly-travel-theme-birds/
what lovely birds! that white peacock, wow! I’ve missed being a part of your travel theme(read: too busy to blog) but happened to see this one so here’s my entry:
http://travelswithtoby.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/travel-theme-birds/
Here are some doves I came across:
http://mostlymonochrome.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/doves/