Camouflage

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I’m so excited. This morning there was a tiny mourning dove in my yard. At first I thought he had fallen in and couldn’t fly because he’s really small, but when I approached him those tiny little wings flapped as fast as they could and up he flew to the top of the fence. Once I was back in the house down he came again to feast on all the seed that the grackles spill. He’s adorable and has perfect camouflage for a ground feeder…he’s the colour of dirt.

Jack’s Walk

It’s been 10 days since I checked in on the goslings and they’ve gotten so big. Their beaks have developed into the adult shape, their necks are much longer and their colour has turned from yellow to light brown. You can also see the beginnings of adult feathers and the development of real wings. I wonder at what age they will take to the air?

©voyager, all rights reserved

On the other side of the park, though, one poor mama is still incubating her eggs and she has nested right against the concrete barrier to the pond. It’s a busy spot near a parking lot with lots of people coming and going. I’ve been pondering this choice and have concluded that the concrete barrier protects her on one side so no one can sneak up on her and that the parade of people probably keep other geese from bothering her. Even so, she is wary and was giving Jack the evil eye. I have no doubt that she would have launched an attack had I let Jack any closer. Not a silly goose after all.

The Daily Bird #714.

This was yesterday: “Oh gods, I went and filled the feeder, then took Jayne on a walk around the property, and there were DOZENS of Cedar Waxwings in the apple tree. I’ve been trying to get a photo of them for years.”  This was not easy shooting, but still, oh, this was so exciting! I sat on the ground under the apple tree, and shot up. Lots of photos here, 12 of them, most below the fold. The last set is underexposed, but I was once again shooting into the sun, so it was the only way to prevent a bunch of silhouettes. They are constantly active, so most of my shots were somewhat artistic blurs. These are also birds who excel at the quick flip the moment you get a focus, so I ended up with a lot of butt shots too. These 12 were the best out of them all. Altogether, a great and grand morning, sitting under the apple and box elder maple trees, in the shade, surrounded by the soporific buzz of bees in all the blossoms. Picked a bunch of lilacs for the studio, too. Click for full size!

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The Daily Bird #712.

Black-headed Grosbeak, click for full size. It’s always a joy to see the Grosbeaks arrive. Around here, the males are notoriously cautious and shy; they’ll usually fly off if they spot the slightest movement from me. Happily, this fellow was an exception to the rule. He didn’t care that I was leaning on the windowsill, very close indeed, and making all that clicking. He just kept on eating with enthusiasm. The last shot was his first checking out the feed situation, from there, he flew to the top of the tray hook, then on to food!

© C. Ford.