I'm an unabashed bird lover and watcher. So are many of you. Birds have aesthetic appeal and they're captivating. They provide a connection to nature. They take us outside ourselves and our preoccupations. Some believe they provide a connection to God. A Local Jaunt–Sketch #1 A week ago I arose early and left a note … Continue reading Bird and Photograph Locally
Category: Bird watching
Fieldcraft
I shared a photo recently that turned out to be pretty popular. It was a portrait of an adult Red-tailed Hawk, another bird species that has adapted well to being around humans. Here's the photo. And here's the description that followed: "The payoff for being still. This adult Red-tailed Hawk landed on a utility pole … Continue reading Fieldcraft
A Green Heron Album
This post is a continuation of "A Green Heron Colony." Many thanks to those of you who read it and enjoyed it. Not that long ago, the words "Green Heron Album" might have conjured up a 33 1/3 LP, a paper sleeve, and a compelling, if enigmatic, album cover. Not anymore. What follows isn't an … Continue reading A Green Heron Album
A Green Heron Colony
Douglas, a fellow FM Forums member, just posted some awe-inspiring Green Heron nestling photos. He took them 15 feet from the birds' natal tree—one of many trees that line a Maryland lake. A few of the photos feature a nestling being fed by a parent, a spectacle everyone should see at least once. Karl's comment, … Continue reading A Green Heron Colony
Laugh Loud
Let's take a quick break from the wildlife photography series that began with "Talkin Bird Photography." You'll recall that we started out there on a fairly serious note. But here, we'll be a little more lighthearted and silly. Laugh Loud I remember something that took place when I was in military school many years ago. … Continue reading Laugh Loud
Birding Unites Us
These are the opening lines of an old Noel Paul Stookey/Michael Kelly Blanchard song: And in these days of confused situations And in these nights of a restless remorse When the heart and the soul of a nation Lay wounded and cold as a corpse I thought of those lines this morning. Then I got … Continue reading Birding Unites Us
Bird Love
This is a few days late, I know. Memorial Day 2020 has passed. But a time to be grateful never does. We remember those who fought and died for our country. We also recognize that the best way to thank them is to live lives worthy of their sacrifice. I'm reminded of Thomas Aquinas's words—and … Continue reading Bird Love
A Hopeful Time
This is a complicated time. But one thing that keeps many of us centered and hopeful is the birds in our lives. Beacons of Hope John W. Fitzpatrick, Director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, said as much in a recent message to members. He wrote that birds are "beacons of hope," and that "this … Continue reading A Hopeful Time
Common Birds
It was a year ago that I wrote: "Be Still and Know." And I still believe, but now even more so, that stillness is, as Mary Oliver put it, “one of the doors into the temple.” Gosh, I love those words. I'm a Mary Oliver fan from way back. The longer I bird and the … Continue reading Common Birds
A Few Thoughts on Birds and Bird Photography
I paid an early morning visit a few days ago to Lakeside Park in Chesapeake, VA—the park with the litter, the noise, the Canada Goose droppings, the algal bloom, and on and on, yet also the park that was recently host to a thriving community of nesting birds, including many Green Herons. I'm reminded of … Continue reading A Few Thoughts on Birds and Bird Photography
Elizabeth River Bird Blog 