A Tiny Blue Visitor...

  

A little Blue-Tit paid us a visit today :-)

(S)he didn't stay long...

...but appeared to like our beads,

And on leaving seemed to stop to say goodbye!

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Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

I ♥ Faces - Week 49 - “Pets Only"

Of course this little visitor is not our pet, but we do feed him and his friends in our garden :D A few weeks back he decided to pay us a visit in our kitchen. I snapped him quick - I had only one chance to get the picture before he flew off (out of the window we had opened for him).

This time of year, it seemed so Christmassy to use his picture for my entry :D

There are many other stunning pet entires this week over at I ♥ Faces so go take a look :D

I ♥ Faces - Week 31 - Pets

I don't know what it is with me and birds this summer, but my entry this week was taken back at the end of June when my 10yo son had the rare opportunity to help this baby swallow (and its siblings) find its way out of our play room. They had nested in there before we moved in and on the day they fledged we were busy installing a TV aerial. In their panic about us being inside they were flying into the windows. Joel got to gently catch them and release them outside. This one was still enough for me to snap a shot :D

Mum and Dad have now re-laid in the nest and we are currently waiting for the second set (3 this time) of hatchlings to fledge in the next few days.

Now let's go and see all the other lovely pet entries this week over at I ♥ Faces.

I ♥ Faces - Week 27 - Pets

The rules for this category say this is an 'anything goes' pets week, so obviously a bird of prey cannot really be considered a pet as such - and this one is certainly not mine! This is an African Martial Eagle, being trained for displays, at our local town show this weekend. It was such an amazing bird and this was the first shot I took of it (and was actually my first shot of the day too!). I love the way Snowdrop is just staring me (and you) down!

It was a good shot to begin with, but I have played with it in Picnik:- rotated, sharped, local contrast checked and then reduced a bit, B&W applied to background and then faded out to 6% to leave a smidgen of colour in the crowd, applied boost and vibrancy (erased from trainer and background) both taken down to about 30%, border frame and vignette (faded strength and reduced size). I like what I have here.

All comments and suggestions gratefully received. I have a lot to learn still :-)

And when you're done don't forget to go & take a look

at all this week's the other lovely 'pets' over at

I ♥ Faces

Post Script - YEAH!!! I came 8th!! WOW!! - I am honoured :D Thanks I ♥ Faces for all you have taught me so far :D
Click the button at very top of this post to see all the other winners this week.

You can't pull the wool over my eyes!!

Ok so not technically MY pet, but a 'possible' pet none-the-less I thought I'd try to get away with it ;)

I liked the angle & the contrasting colours on this one.

"Be sure to go check out all the beautiful faces at www.iheartfaces.com!"