Deciding on the Photo of the Week

In past posts, I've mentioned that some weeks, it has been easy to select a photo of the week,while other weeks, it can be quite difficult. The only two rules are:

1) The photo has to have been taken during the week in question which runs from Saturday through Friday.

2) I can only choose one photo.

As a result, the decision regarding what is the photo of the week is rather subjective. It could be due to the composition, unusual subject matter, a specific activity, etc.

As it turns out, this past week had several strong candidates:

The first two were taken in the back yard of a friend's home in Pleaanton, CA, on Sunday, May 4, 2019/

Scrub Jay with Hummingbird Egg

This is definitely an unusual capture. Jays are opportunistic birds and are well known to steal eggs from other birds' nests, especially hummingbirds, if they get a chance. However, it is rare to catch them in the act.

Anna's Hummingbird on a Rose Bush

I managed to get this shot of an Anna's hummingbird while it landed briefly on a rose bush. The iridescence of the bird's head feathers is quite vivid and there's a good view of the feet and wings, as well. I like trying to capture hummingbirds in motion, so this photo is definitely a contender.

The next three photos were taken while on a walk along Alameda Creek in Fremont, CA, on Sunday morning, May 5, 2019.

Wood Ducks

The male wood ducks are extremely colorful and even the females have that distinctive eye patch. This is only the second time I've photographed wood ducks in the Bay Area. In addition to the rarity of the sighting (at least for me), there's also a nice reflection in the water.

Black-necked Stilt at Rest

The reflection in this shot is quite nice and I like how elegant stilts are, in general.

Dive, Dive!

This Forster's tern is diving into the water to try to catch a fish it has spotted. I've tried many times to capture these birds while feeding and this is the best shot I've gotten, to date.

Which photo will take home the honor of photo of the week? Check the Photo of the Week to find out!