P
enryn Campus' walled garden is host to a plethora of life, and every time I'm there I ignore it all and focus on the birds. A few stout, hardy apple trees are often host to feathered visitors from the neighboring woodland, and you bet I'm there to see it all happen.
I've taken many photos here, but the ones that stand out are the ones that isolate their subject, whether by their bokeh or by their character. The colors of blurred autumn leaves and ripe apples create a wreath which highlights the colors of the subject. Whether subtle like a simple head tilt or pronounced like a call or wing-flap, actions characterize the subject, giving the frame personality and telling a story.
Here are just a few of my favorites from so many days in the orchard.
A blackbird pauses its hunt for food among windfall apples. These were the first photos I took in Cornwall, back in November of 2018.
Hello! A blue tit peeks out from a shroud of Leaves and Ripe Apples, which, coincidentally, is the name of my soon-to-be-created 1960's tree-hugger singer/songwriter duo.
A suspicious firecrest watches me.
The territorial firecrest announces its presence.
A chaffinch stares out across the garden, shrouded by apple boughs.
A long-tailed tit stands atop an apple tree in hazy morning light.
A house sparrow, beak red from ripe blackberries, surveys the sunny afternoon.