Everywhere I look these days, there are lovely little birds just begging to be photographed. So how could I deny them? Come bird-watching with me.
Everyone says that Robins are the first true sign of spring. This one just kept on singing so beautifully as I approached with my camera.
Many of us believe that it's the Red-winged Blackbird which signals spring. This one enjoyed the warmth of the bright sun in the clear blue sky.
A different day and a different blackbird, presumably. This one decided to leave his perch just as I snapped a shot.
On a day when we saw dozens of newly-emerged butterflies, my eye followed the movement of one which I thought was rather large. I lost sight of it when it flew into the bushes. Just as I shrugged it off, Frank noticed that it was not one of the many butterflies but a tiny bird, instead. It eventually made its way into enough of a clearing to get a good shot. This little guy is a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. If you look really closely, you can see the tiny patch of red at the back of his head.
The Common Grackle with its intense yellow-eyed stare is truly a beautiful bird. In shady areas they appear to be mostly black. But shine a little sunlight on them, and you see several shades of blue, purple and bronze.
Another lovely bird is the Eastern Kingbird. I spotted this one while walking around the field near Frank's place.
That same weekend, there were a number of Baltimore Orioles around the area. Their brilliant orange feathers sure do cause them to stand out against most any background.
Closer to home, I found these feathers among a pile of dozens more. I don't doubt that a bird's life came to an abrupt end at the claws, mouth or talons of some other creature. By the colouring, we figured it was probably a Mourning Dove.
But I know for sure that it wasn't one of the doves in this loving couple.
Thanks for bird watching with me. I'll have more photos in a few days.
