Update.
It looks like I have found a solution. If you want to support in any way, you can visit my Patreon (https://patreon.com/Ostdrossel) or buy things at my Redbubble shop (linked on the main page).
I mentioned it a while ago, but a couple of weeks ago, my work situation changed a bit. As a result of this, I will have to close this website because I am currently not able to afford it. I will continue to take photos and videos and post them on social media, but the website is a luxury that is out of my current budget. I will try and find a free solution, and the livestreams may eventually get moved to my YouTube channel. I am sorry about this and I will keep you updated.
A personal note.
Spring is just around the corner, which means that activity will pick up, which in turn means that this birding hobby can become quite pricey. My work situation has changed a bit recently, and in order to be able to continue with all of this, I may need some support. Asking for that is not something I really like to do, but at the moment, I do not see any other way. I have created a Patreon account for this very reason. You may check things out here.
I am happy to hear what people have to say and what suggestions for a subscription reward you have, so do not hesitate to get in touch. And have a beautiful evening.
I have been asked where my posts are,
so I feel like I need to say something. I was slowed down for a bit because of my injured thumb, but there is also regular life with a job with sometimes crazy work hours, a kitty and husband to love up, a garden to maintain and other hobbies that I like to spend time with too. A day sadly has only 24 hours. I put the photo setups out every day but during busy work days I am not always in the mood to process them all at the end of the day, and just put the SD card to the side for when I have time and the right mood. Each card carries around 20k photos, and processing is not just going through the photos to pick out the good ones and formatting the cards, I then also edit them, add my watermarks and then compile captions for seven social media platforms, Youtube and my website. And sometimes I just want to relax at the end of the day. Another thing is, I have been doing this since 2016 now, and I try to stay fresh and unique in my approach and avoid repetition, so maybe I am a bit more picky and selective nowadays, and I want this to be fun for myself too. Yesterday, I finally caught up, and I also had time to edit some photos.
I have not posted Blue Jays in a while. I loved these three because of the evening light and the feather detail. As you can see in the last one, molting is already under way. I am expecting to see the youngsters any day now.
Well, well...
I AM IN A BOOK! It is massive, it is beautiful, and I am on the very last page, right after Sibley and Peterson 😃 The cover is beautifully embossed, and it is a very interesting collection "celebrating the beauty and appeal of birds throughout art, history and culture". I am not trying to sell anything, just sharing because I am a bit proud 😎 (If you do want to get one, searching for the title online will get you where you want to be.)
Livestream comments
I added a comments section to the livestream page in case people would like to comment. (This picture is a screenshot.)
A warm welcome to the new ostdrossel.com
I have decided to take the plunge and finally create my own website. This is still a work in progress, so if you spot anything that does not work, let me know.