After leaving the bluebird behind we caught sight of yet another snake. There were literally everywhere, warming themselves along the open edges of the trail. They'd shoot off into the taller grasses as we approached, but this one didn't escape far enough to avoid having its picture taken--a common garter snake.
The girls were chit chatting behind me while I photographed the snake. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a bird fly into the bushes in front of us. I shushed them and we all stood still. Oh, a little chickadee!
We stood still and quiet, and eventually the small bird made its way to a branch on the edge of the shrub, right in front of me, and proceeded to check me out.
I wish I'd been able to shift just a bit to get rid of that twig in front of the bird, but I was afraid to move too much. It is not often you have a bird station itself five feet from your lens!
This is without question one of my favorite birds. They're cute, gregarious, and they stay with us all year long, a quality I really appreciate. In January they start singing their "spring's coming" song and even though we're buried under snow and ice I feel my heart lift in response.
What a wonderful moment to have this sprightly bird sit still before us. Bird photography can be so difficult because they rarely sit still long enough to even focus on them, much less get off a decent shot. This was quite a treat.
And then, just to show how relaxed it was, it started preening and stretching its wings. I was so excited I couldn't hold the camera still!
After several minutes the chickadee flew off, leaving me breathless and excited--to have such a close encounter is a thrill, and I knew I had some great new subject matter for a new--or several new--pieces.
Woo-hoo!!
Marie, you truly have the luck of the Iris. What an amazing opportunity, almost a real live bird in the hand! I can visualize you drawing the wing spread and the last photo with the beak open!
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