“Hey, Grant”, I yelled, “how can you tell when a bird is in distress?” I’ve asked this several times now, always panicking needlessly when birds do what seem like bizarre things outside my kitchen window.
But his little guy seemed to be calling for help. I can’t bear to see animals, or birds, or basically any creature, in trouble. I suppose it’s the compulsion I have to rescue everything. Not that I have always been terribly successful at it.
Grant is a rescuer too, so he dropped what he was doing and came to look, calling out “he’s probably dirt bathing”, but the bird was on the grass and looking more desperate by the minute.
Bear in mind that these photographs were taken with a fairly powerful telephoto lens, so I couldn’t really see what was happening until I downloaded the images. By the time Grant came to look, the bird had finished scratching and trying to remove baby feathers, and took off into the air. I imagine he was just feeling itchy!
I think this must have been a fledgling from a nest that’s up near the garage. The parent birds have been yelling at me every time I go by to water the garden. I think it’s a Brown Thrasher. Beautiful bird.
About ten days ago we had baby grackles feeding just outside. They were sweet but the parents seemed to be telling them it was time they grew up! Not great pictures. I asked them to hold still while I manipulated the camera but they laughed at me. I’m sure they were just preoccupied.
Keeping company with the birds, other babies: chipmunk, bunny and ground hog. This ground hog is more a juvenile. I messed up getting a shot of the little guy who popped out this morning. Sometimes my camera has it’s own mind about what it will photograph. I recognize that it is the photographer who has issues, of course, as the same thing has always happened to me, and with a number of cameras. Inevitably, the moment I see something I most particularly want to capture for posterity, either the camera shuts down (and it’s only ever temporary), or it takes a shot that comes out blank. It’s bizarre. I’m sure the Universe has a message for me in there somewhere, but I have not worked it out yet, and this is over the course of a lifetime! Weird?
These birds and creatures cavort about all day right in front of the porch. They all seem to get along just fine but the tiniest of them, the chipmunks, chase each other about, careening around with no regard to whoever they might mow down, so periodically there is a lot of flapping as birds take to the air. One creature, however, just keeps nibbling and minding her own business, PEACE personified, appropriately in the form of a dove. Such dear little birds.
I am so delighted by my daily entertainment. No TV in this house. But is it any wonder I never get anything done….
Just the image of that “itchy” little bird brought a much needed smile to my face. The grackles, sitting in the green grass with the white flowers, make a lovely picture.
Beautiful photos!
Sent from my iPad
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Thank you!
These pictures are great Carolyn. your Watching the animals around your home reminds me of the book, Never Home Alone I just finished reading about the microbes and insects we live with in our home. All the exotic stuff is exciting to see, but the stuff in our own back yards can be just as exciting. I never knew that about baby birds and their baby wings.