Morning, Newdists.
It’s Caturday!
Diary Bird — Mountain Bluebird — Sialia currucoides
The Mountain Bluebird is the bluest of the bluebirds, unadulterated by distinct patches of some shade of orange or red. Males of the species are a striking cerulean blue and are especially stunning in the long rays of sunlight early and late in the day.
The attractiveness of this species perhaps belies its considerable hardiness. The Mountain Bluebird breeds at high elevations and latitudes in western North America with a range that extends above timberline in the Rocky Mountains and north into the Yukon and Alaska. Although that distribution alone ensures that many individuals routinely face challenging environmental conditions, the species is also among the earliest-arriving migrants, appearing in late winter when cold, snowy weather persists.
The Mountain Bluebird nests primarily in pre-existing tree cavities, especially old woodpecker holes that, in many places, are probably in limited supply. LINK
====
Mountain Bluebirds are fairly common, but populations declined by about 24% between 1966 and 2015, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates the global breeding population of 4.6 million, with 80% spending some part of the year in the U.S., 20% breeding in Canada, and 31% wintering in Mexico. The species rates a 12 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score. Mountain Bluebird is not on the 2016 State of North America's Birds' Watch List, but it is a U.S.-Canada Stewardship species. These bluebirds benefited from the westward spread of logging and grazing in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when the clearing of forest created open habitat for foraging. The subsequent waning of these industries, coupled with the deliberate suppression of wildfires, led to a dwindling of open acreage in the West and the decline of the species. More recently, as land-use practices have stabilized, so have Mountain Bluebird populations. Construction of nest boxes in suitable habitat has also provided a population boost. LINK
.
Please grab a cuppa and something to eat, and join us in the cafe.
.
.
All are welcome to join the fun, the silliness, the conversations. If you don’t know...just ask! Some things really do require a bit of explanation.
There will be a few surprises along the way, all good ones, we hope.
We are here to keep building the Daily Kos Community.
We post Mon-Sun at 10:30 a.m. Eastern.
Pie fights will be met with outrageous ridicule and insults. Trolls will be incinerated and served at the next group BBQ. As briquettes.
Blue Hour
What is the blue hour? It does not even last a full hour. More like 20 minutes, or maybe 30 minutes and those minutes are right after the sun has set, or before sunrise. Many photographers like to be out at this magical time with their cameras at the ready to capture the enchantment of multiple shades of blue suffusing the sky and the light in general. I think it takes a lot of patience!
The blue hour (from French l'heure bleue;[1][a] pronounced [lœʁ blø]) is the period of twilight (in the morning or evening, around the nautical stage) when the Sun is at a significant depth below the horizon and residual, indirect sunlight takes on a predominantly blue shade, which differs from the one visible during most of a clear day, which is caused by Rayleigh scattering.
The blue hour occurs when the Sun is far enough below the horizon so that the sunlight's blue wavelengths dominate due to the Chappuis absorption caused by ozone.[2] Since the term is colloquial, it lacks an official definition similar to dawn, dusk, and the three stages of twilight. Rather, it refers to a state of natural lighting that usually occurs around the nautical stage of the twilight period (at dawn or dusk).[3]
SNIP
Many artists value this period for the quality of the soft light. Although the blue hour does not have an official definition, the blue color spectrum is most prominent when the Sun is between 4° and 8° below the horizon.[6] Photographers cherish blue hour for the tranquil mood it sets. When photographing blue hour it is recommended to capture subjects that have artificial light sources, such as buildings, monuments, cityscapes, or bridges. LINK
Some photographers are very good at capturing images at these times of the day (sunrise and sunset). One such is photographer is Kilian Schönberger:
While shooting during the blue hour is a common practice amongst landscape photographers, Schönberger’s appreciation for this fleeting period transcends an interest in aesthetics. “It’s far more than just a special light mood,” he explains. “For me it’s a magical border between the rational daylight world and the mystic realm of the night.”
With such a poetic approach to his craft, it comes as no surprise that Schönberger’s practice comprises much more than simply snapping photos in pursuit of the perfect shot. Instead, he uses his talents to honor, document, and understand the mysterious side of nature. “Like a visual novelist I’m trying to capture this daily transformation of the world with my camera,” he reveals. “A silent witness of these magic moments between day and night, right on The Blue Border.” LINK
Also —
Kilian’s subjects of choice are vast, preferably foggy landscapes. Based out of Cologne, Germany, he’s often trudging through forests or hiking mountain paths with his Sony A7r and Canon 5D MKII in tow, searching for the perfect composition.
And in that he has both an advantage and disadvantage… you see, Kilian is colorblind. That’s right, the man behind the vibrant landscapes you see above and below doesn’t see colors the way most of us do, but he considers this a strength.
“I recognized that I could turn this so-called disadvantage into a strength, too and developed my own unique photographic view,” he explains on his website. “[For example], while getting a picture of a chaotic forest scene, I can’t clearly distinguish the different green and brown tones. Brushing aside this ‘handicap’ I don’t care about those tones and just concentrate on the patterns of the wood to achieve an impressive image structure.” LINK
This link has some great pics. Also, lets admire some of his work from his Instagram feed!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
New Day Cafe is an open thread.
What do you want to talk about today?
.