On my previous post I featured several photographs that are among my favorite shots of 2024, for a variety of reasons. Now it’s time to winnow things down to “the best”. The word best has 33 synonyms, and of those I’m leaning toward “worthy and excellent.”
An unsettled cloudy sky with strands of sunlight in the west reflecting upon the sheen of a very low tide at Long Beach, is an enigmatic and captivating scene. I selected this one out of all my sunset and beach reflection photos for just that reason. Though it’s not as striking as others in my portfolio, it certainly sets a mood!
Above, two photos with very different qualities provide a glimpse into an icy period we experienced in Vancouver, WA during February 2024. I love the brightness of the ice-crusted berries, and used the shot for my holiday card. The bareness of frozen branches silhouetted upon a gray sky creates a stark image. The photo is in color, though it appears to be monochrome.
What is this bird? I wondered four years ago when it first landed on my back deck feeder. I searched the Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America and found one possibility; Snow Bunting. I included it in my weekly Project Feederwatch counts to Cornell Lab of Ornithology. They were skeptical, and asked for photos. Getting clear shots of this bird was hard, as it was an infrequent visitor and quite evasive when it did show up. After I sent in a good photo to Cornell, I was informed that this mystery bird is a *leucistic Junco.
In August 2024, the usually pristine surroundings of Odell Lake (37 sq mi/96 km) at the summit of Willamette Pass Oregon, were enveloped in wild fire smoke. The above photo of the morning sun rays trapped in smoke and reflected on the lake surface has an eerie beauty, as it bears witness to the ongoing ill-effect of climate change to our environment.
At the same time, there are efforts to protect and sustain the beauty of our Sweet Home Earth. I have so many photos of beautiful butterflies from my visit to the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House and the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, it’s hard to choose the “best”. I selected this one because I love how fragile this Paper Kite butterfly (Idea Leuconoe) appears having recently emerged from its chrysalis. It rests suspended soaking in the light of life, as it continues its metamorphosis journey.
From first seeing it, I fell in love with this photo of horses in a 1924 carousel reflected upon the interior glass of the building. To me the image creates an impression of ghostly steeds galloping through the forest outside.
Lindy Low LeCoq 
Lindy, your have chosen some wonderful images! I really like the cloudy sky at low tide and the butterfly.
Thank you, Beth! Hope your new year is starting off on a positive note!
These are magnificent! The fire photo looks almost like a volcano erupting. How wonderful to have a resource like the Cornell Ornithology lab to ID mystery birds.
Thank you, Jill. You put your finger on what I was seeing as I looked at that fire photo – it does look like a volcano! Cornell is my go-to place for bird research!
Magnificent gallery, Lindy! From start to finish. I love them all and must say I even loved the fiery one despite what it really shows. Interesting with the bird and good to have it examined by experts. Seeing that newly sprung butterfly is soothing to the eye, not to talk about the last day of December! The horses in the forest and the three first ones also have a special light. I remember I loved those horses the first time you featured them too.
Thank you, Leya. Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a tremendous resource for birders all over the world. I have downloaded their bird-id application on my iPhone. When I’m out on walks and hear a bird, or as happened a few days ago a flock of birds and I don’t know what it is, I just open the ap, point my phone toward the sound, and the name of the bird(s) shows up! For over a decade my husband and I have participated in Project Feederwatch, which is a world-wide program. Easy to do, and so much fun to be a “citizen scientist.”
Sounds a terrific app – very useful. I don’t think we have one for androids…have to google it. And the project – yes, we have that in Sweden too and I participate every year. Great fun!
So glad you also participate in Project FeederWatch!
So hard to choose ‘best’ when they all seem to mean so much ! Love the Odell Lake shot 🙂
Thank you! Someone mentioned the Odell shot almost looked like a volcano erupting, and I have to agree!
Ahh the elusive leucistic Junco. Now we know! Great photos all around, rather pensively pondered. Well done.
Thank you, John. I was rather pensive on this one!
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A wonderful post from start to finish Lindy! The fire in the sky and on the water in the third image is incredible. Sad that such beauty is related to fires. I loved the little blue bird leucistic or not, and my favorite, the ghostly horses. That one is spectacular!! I could see it as a book cover (for the right book of course 😊) Best wish to you for the new year ahead.
Thank you, Tina. I’m looking forward to staying on top of my posts this year – one of my 2025 intentions!!!
So many beautiful images and I can agree with so many of the previous comments so Will just say, like they said. Lovely post
Thank you, Ritva!