Eastern Pheobe

My black lab Bridget and I went up to the pasture this late afternoon in search of a bird to photograph. And on this first sunny day, ending a string of soggy ones, there were plenty of birds to see--but not to photograph. For example, a pair of juvenile Eastern Bluebirds would have made a pretty picture, but though in range of my binoculars, they were too far off for the camera. An Eastern Phoebe toyed with me, landing time and again in perfect view at the end of some branch, only to fly off with each aim of the camera. Then there was the sparrow, who wouldn't sit still long enough to be identified.

Chasing after photos can sometimes make you forget the joy of seeing and hearing birds. For instance, when your aim is to "get the shot," it can't also be to enjoy the bird. This revelation visited me an instant before seeing a flycatcher fly onto a branch with a large, winged insect in his bill. Preoccupied with his unwieldy meal, the bird didn't attend to me watching greedily through binoculars to identify him: Eastern Phoebe. Was this the same fellow who had been teasing me? If so, then I won this game of "tag."

Until next time . . . Keep birds in your heart.

Georgia Anne