With the back deck power washed, the deck furniture sparkling clean and the weather perfect, I headed outside with my laptop this afternoon. How nice.
The sky was blue, occasionally interrupted by some milky white cirrus clouds. The neighborhood was quiet. Saturday is normally a day to hear gas engines as lawns get mowed and hedges trimmed.
A few birds were chattering in nearby trees. Their calls are rhythmic and cryptic. Are they saying anything or is this the equivalent of the bell on a buoy in a harbor?
A good time to take some pictures! I went inside and fitted “Clicky” with his 70-300mm telephoto lens.
It didn’t take long to realize, birds are more easily heard than seen! Even repetitive calls were tough to pin down.
Can a bird throw its voice like a ventriloquist? It seemed that way.
Finally, one sat down in a bush not far from me. He was tiny, with a curved beak. Click. Captured in the camera.
Later I showed the shot to Helaine.
“What kind is it,” she asked?
“Cute,” I answered.
“No really,” she said, getting more serious.
“Brown… it’s a brown bird.”
It is.