World Bird Wednesday XXIX

                                            Cute as a ...

Why is cute, cute? Cute is one of those things that you instantly recognise like this little Mute swan cygnet bobbing about in a pond, but if you were pressed to define cute could you really do it? What is the origin of cute? How is it that the human animal has an acute, innate sense of what is cute and not cute? Is there an evolutionary imperative driving this curious "knowing" that we seem to share? I distinctly remember back in kindergarten knowing who the cute ones were. This switch is apparently flipped very early in life. What we're talking about here, I suppose, is a softer, more innocent, less complicated version of beautiful. So when does cute change into beautiful? Certainly the mother swan is beautiful and not cute even though other than size there's not a heck of a lot of difference between the adult and the adorable little versions. Puzzling isn't it?

         It seems that most everyone craves cuteness. And why not? Cuteness has its privileges like the adoring attention it attracts by the boatloads and the power inherent there in. It'll get you out of a ticket faster than butt ugly any day of the week. If your not cute it doesn't hurt to have a puppy in tow to attract the "Oh, how adorable," reaction that can reflect well on you and bump up your cuteness quotient significantly.

And then there's homely like this Canadian gosling. Pity the poor thing, a couple of weeks ago it was a different story. Cuteness can be fickle and like a candle in the wind, flicker, fade and vanish into the abstract body shapes of the half grown. If your cute, enjoy it while you can.

Like anything, cuteness can be taken to far just as to much sugar in your coffee can make you gag. Consider Norman Rockwell's stellar career painting nostalgic covers for The Saturday Evening Post. Even given the genius of his technique Mr. Rockwell was never taken seriously as a painter because of his saccharine subject matter. He would have been better off, in terms of critical acclaim, painting Campbell's soup cans ala Andy Warhol.

Lesson learned: Don't get caught being to cute if you want to be taken seriously!

                                    These little mallard ducklings are sooooo cute, don't cha luv 'em!

Not cute. I include this vulture picture to cleanse your palette. That much sweetness isn't good for anybody!

         Now it's time for World Bird Wednesday!
 

This is the home of World Bird Wednesday. A place for bird photographers from around the world to gather and share their photographs and experiences as they pursue Natures most diverse and beautiful treasurers, the birds.

World Bird Wednesday will be open for posting at 12 noon Tuesday EST North America through midnight on Wednesday.
You are invited to link your blog with other bird photographers in a weekly celebration of these most diverse and intriguing of Earth's residents.


                                                

#1. Simply copy the above picture onto your W.B.W. blog entry. It contains a link for your readers to share in WBW. Or you can copy this link on to your blog page to share W.B.W. http://pineriverreview.blogspot.com/


#2. Come to The Pine River Review on Tuesday Noon EST North America through Wednesday midnight and submit your blog entry with Linky.

#3. Check back in during the course of the next day and explore these excellent photoblogs!


You don't have to be a Bird Watcher or expert photographer to join in--just enjoy sharing what you bring back from your explorations and adventures into nature.The idea of a meme is that you will visit each others blogs and perhaps leave a comment to encourage your compadres!

        The thumbnails below are links to our contributors blogs. Click on them and view their beautiful posts.
                                               Come on it's your turn!