Eastern Bluebird in crabapple. Kennebunk, Maine, USA, January 2026 — I went to the pond by the river to look for eagles…I saw one there this week for the first time this winter. None yesterday. But just as I was thinking of leaving, I walked up to check the crabapple tree one more time for Cedar Waxwings or Robins. There was one Robin, and a pair of Bluebirds enjoying the small red fruits (no Cedar Waxwings yet this winter). The Bluebirds would swoop down from a maple branch overhead and wrestle a berry from the branch, with lots of wing flapping and struggle, and then fly back up to eat it. I picked this photo from 30 or more frames I took as the bird returned, because even though it is the female, it shows the most blue on the bird, and I wanted the contrast with the red…and I adjusted the crop at least half-a-dozen times trying to get the right balance of bird and berries. It turns out to be a somewhat unconventional framing, but it works for me. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 at 450mm equivalent field of view (cropped to close to 800mm fov). Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.