I have a Canon 100 to 400 and it doesn’t seem to reach far enough. It cost me a lot of money and I can’t afford another one. I do so need to get out and walk in the woods with it. Because it’s so heavy I tend to walk in the woods with my kit lens.
Loved this humorous observation. The ruby-crowned kinglet delights me every time, so tiny, round, quick, so curious about the human who stops to chat a while.
One of my favorites is our Pygmy Nuthatches. We might get excited about a hawk that has landed near the house for a short time, but the Nuthatches are consistent, familiar and fascinating to watch. Their busy, noisy family life that doesn't seem to care if I come closer to see them is a wonderful pause to my days.
This made me laugh out loud. It makes me think of the contrast between conquest and kinship. Here where I live a rock climbers and mountain bikers and epic experience seekers like your alpha birder. I like to walk the same 2-mile loop twice a day with my dog and see how it changes the whole year round. And I have seen magnificent beings up close in the process. Thanks for your humor and for the little beings that you called to my attention.
My first read of the morning David… I’m smiling broadly over my coffee here whilst watching a coal tit rip all the peach blossom to shreds… sadly I’m not an owner of any ‘Swarovski green birder regalia,’ or I’d snap it up on film, proof eternal of the reason we never have any peaches in summer.
I’ll just carry on grinning and watching the little bugger!
I have a very wise and eloquent "posey" bird - "obnoxious" human metaphor on the tip of my tongue for this wonderful story of yours. However, I can't quite find it right now. But someone will have one I am sure!
When I read your list of "unworthy" birds I briefly misread "bushtits" for "bullshit." I should know better and that you would not use such language David! 😉. But I do at times. And that is probably as eloquent as I can get right now. It's bullshit to overlook and negate the beauty of the little things, the so called insignificant birds. His loss. His lack. His blindness. The world needs more openness to "All Creatures Great and Small."
Those three birds are ones that this "alpha birder" (if that's what having the green optics makes me 😉) is really impressed by and more than a little envious of. How did you persuade the Kinglet to stay for its portrait? Beautiful pictures. Common-ish birds are always worth stopping for.
Oh man, two of my favorite local birds in one place! Thanks for celebrating the commonplace and poking some fun at those too cool to notice :)
That shot of the kinglet is amazing. I enjoy them so much - they entirely do what they want, and if I'm right there with my camera and that's where they feel like being, they will carry on as though I don't exist! I still rarely capture a great image due to low lighting and their energetic motion :) But I enjoy their absolute freedom, the way they just look at me like, "Hey, how's it going? Coming through!"
And I had never seen Brown Creepers before moving to Maine. I learned to identify them by their flight pattern - swooping to the base of a tree, working their way up, swooping down to the base of the next tree to start again. I was so delighted with their habit, and the fondness has only grown :)
“Listen heart, to the whispering of the World. That is how it makes love to you.” - R. Tagore
(Your alpha-birder is impotent.)
Beautiful ruby- crowned kinglet. And, beautiful piece.
What telephoto lens do you use?
I have a Canon 100 to 400 and it doesn’t seem to reach far enough. It cost me a lot of money and I can’t afford another one. I do so need to get out and walk in the woods with it. Because it’s so heavy I tend to walk in the woods with my kit lens.
Loved this humorous observation. The ruby-crowned kinglet delights me every time, so tiny, round, quick, so curious about the human who stops to chat a while.
Love it!
One of my favorites is our Pygmy Nuthatches. We might get excited about a hawk that has landed near the house for a short time, but the Nuthatches are consistent, familiar and fascinating to watch. Their busy, noisy family life that doesn't seem to care if I come closer to see them is a wonderful pause to my days.
This made me laugh out loud. It makes me think of the contrast between conquest and kinship. Here where I live a rock climbers and mountain bikers and epic experience seekers like your alpha birder. I like to walk the same 2-mile loop twice a day with my dog and see how it changes the whole year round. And I have seen magnificent beings up close in the process. Thanks for your humor and for the little beings that you called to my attention.
Thanks for making me feel like less of a fool for being in love with the finches, sparrows, and robins of the world.
Beautiful pics!
My first read of the morning David… I’m smiling broadly over my coffee here whilst watching a coal tit rip all the peach blossom to shreds… sadly I’m not an owner of any ‘Swarovski green birder regalia,’ or I’d snap it up on film, proof eternal of the reason we never have any peaches in summer.
I’ll just carry on grinning and watching the little bugger!
Who needs peaches anyway?
I have a very wise and eloquent "posey" bird - "obnoxious" human metaphor on the tip of my tongue for this wonderful story of yours. However, I can't quite find it right now. But someone will have one I am sure!
When I read your list of "unworthy" birds I briefly misread "bushtits" for "bullshit." I should know better and that you would not use such language David! 😉. But I do at times. And that is probably as eloquent as I can get right now. It's bullshit to overlook and negate the beauty of the little things, the so called insignificant birds. His loss. His lack. His blindness. The world needs more openness to "All Creatures Great and Small."
Just love your wanderings. Thank you. 💚
Those three birds are ones that this "alpha birder" (if that's what having the green optics makes me 😉) is really impressed by and more than a little envious of. How did you persuade the Kinglet to stay for its portrait? Beautiful pictures. Common-ish birds are always worth stopping for.
If you search google and enter;
celeryfarm.net Classic 'Beverly Hillbillies' Birding Episode
I promise, the first five minutes will just about say it all.
Sounds like a perfect day.
Oh man, two of my favorite local birds in one place! Thanks for celebrating the commonplace and poking some fun at those too cool to notice :)
That shot of the kinglet is amazing. I enjoy them so much - they entirely do what they want, and if I'm right there with my camera and that's where they feel like being, they will carry on as though I don't exist! I still rarely capture a great image due to low lighting and their energetic motion :) But I enjoy their absolute freedom, the way they just look at me like, "Hey, how's it going? Coming through!"
And I had never seen Brown Creepers before moving to Maine. I learned to identify them by their flight pattern - swooping to the base of a tree, working their way up, swooping down to the base of the next tree to start again. I was so delighted with their habit, and the fondness has only grown :)
Thanks for sharing these beauties!
Surgical snark