I was sitting here this morning at my computer, and I looked out the window to see a ridiculous number of birds in the tree in my backyard. It's early February and here in Halifax, we have had our share of good, old-fashioned snow storms this year, so I wonder about these birds that have flocked to my tree.
Why here?
Why now?
I wonder if these birds know that traditionally on this very day, I should be enjoying a poolside tropical drink on a warm beach in the caribbean. Alas, circumstances have kiboshed our annual trip down south this year so I sit in front of my laptop and watch the seemingly endless number of birds in my backyard instead.
I wonder if the birds do not, in fact, return with the onset of spring, but if, perhaps, the spring returns with the onset of the birds.
Then, after philosophical me takes a bathroom break and lets photographical me back at the keyboard, I decide to post some shots of other visitors I've gotten to share a moment with.
This blue jay is actually from 2004. He and his compadres would visit our balcony in droves to collect the peanuts my husband would throw out for them. Rain or shine, they would arrive and generally hang around just long enough for me to get a shot.
Why here?
Why now?
I wonder if these birds know that traditionally on this very day, I should be enjoying a poolside tropical drink on a warm beach in the caribbean. Alas, circumstances have kiboshed our annual trip down south this year so I sit in front of my laptop and watch the seemingly endless number of birds in my backyard instead.
I wonder if the birds do not, in fact, return with the onset of spring, but if, perhaps, the spring returns with the onset of the birds.
Then, after philosophical me takes a bathroom break and lets photographical me back at the keyboard, I decide to post some shots of other visitors I've gotten to share a moment with.
This blue jay is actually from 2004. He and his compadres would visit our balcony in droves to collect the peanuts my husband would throw out for them. Rain or shine, they would arrive and generally hang around just long enough for me to get a shot.
This woodpecker landed in my very own back yard back in October and pecked away at the trunk long enough for me to dash inside for my camera. This was all I was able to get before he flew off to wherever it is that birds fly off to.
This black-capped chickadee is a resident of Peter's Field in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The field is a provincial park and is stocked with homemade bird feeders hung from low trees all over. The chickadees are everywhere, but they're also fast and not nearly as predictable as the hummingbird so, despite the abundance of subjects, I played quite a waiting game for this one.
While I'm not a bird-watcher per se, I will be watching out for more of these delicate little creatures in the future. We often don't realize just how beautiful and detailed they are as they make their way past us in their busy lives and being able to capture just a brief second of that beauty is part of what makes being a photographer so rewarding.
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