Scavenger Hunt - Bird Happiness

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer,
it sings because it has a song."
Maya Angelou

1. Hey wait a minute ... that's no bird!

I hung a new feeder right outside my kitchen so I could enjoy the birds as they feast. I think it must be too close to the window, because except for a very brave - or hungry- nuthatch the feeder has been totally ignored. Until yesterday when the squirrels discovered it. I say squirrels, as in more than one, but I may be wrong. It may be just this acrobatic rodent that keeps coming back for more. You can't really tell because the I'm shooting from inside the house, through the window glass and screen, but this guy is holding on with his back feet as he gobbles up what he considers his fair share.






2. As you can tell by this picture I am not much of a wildlife photographer. I've found that in order to get a good picture, even with my zoom lens, I have to be almost right on top of my subject. Trouble is birds have a tendency to fly away before I can even get them centered in the view finder.



The canary and finches are what you might consider a "captured" audience. They can't fly away when I get up close with my camera, but you still can't see them real clearly because of the bars of the
cage. This is the best I can get of what must be bird bliss.

Every morning I refresh the birds' water. I think this is probably the best part of Ernst's day (Ernst is a champion German Roller canary, so we've changed our family's traditional canary name from Tennessee Ernie Ford Bird, to something more German sounding.) As soon as I turn my back, he hops down to the perch nearest the water dish, dips his beak in as if to test the temperature, then does a bird version of a cannon ball into the middle of the water. It is pretty funny to watch.




At first the finches in the cage next to Ernst gave him a look like he was a bird brain! (I couldn't resist!) But they have begun fighting over who gets to bathe first. Even as small as they are, only one will fit in the bowl at a time. I feel quite delighted to provide a bit of happiness to these creatures who fill our kitchen with such pretty music and color. [Photo L: Hoppin' John getting ready to dive in.]


I'll keep trying for some better bird shots, but I think I'm going to have to rely on my fellow picture takers to do this item on the list justice.

Loving Spring,
Merry ME

Comments

Fire Byrd said…
It's early in the morning here, the hour has changed, and i've just been out for a walk in the spring sunshine with Miss Trix. The birds were definately singing their hearts out over here.
xx
March 29, 2009 at 4:04 AM
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