We ended "A Late Winter's Tale" with a joke book recommendation. BTW, I hope some of you ordered Wayne's book. We'll begin this one with an edited/accessorized version of a photo that appeared at the end of "Finding Humor, Finding Birds." One of the wonderful things about digital photos is that you can alter them. … Continue reading New Beginnings
Category: Birds
A Late Winter’s Tale
We're closing in on blog #100. It's interesting. My most-read blog to date is one I wrote a few months back entitled "A Life Lesson." Why are readers drawn to it? It's mostly about European Starlings, so it's not the content. I think it's the title and the promise that readers will learn something about … Continue reading A Late Winter’s Tale
Finding Humor, Finding Birds
One of the things that keep us going is our ability to find humor and to laugh. It might not be a survival need (like writing), but sometimes it sure feels like it. How many times have you heard someone say, in response to something funny, "God, I needed that!" Speaking of things funny, here's … Continue reading Finding Humor, Finding Birds
Whispers of Spring
We're not quite ready for "the day is on the wing, the kite is on the string," but we're getting close. (Those are two lines from the N.M. Bodecker poem I referenced in "The Day is on the Wing.") There have been reports of American Woodcock courtship flights, House Finches, Titmice, and Northern Cardinals singing, … Continue reading Whispers of Spring
Color Play
Below is a recent Song Sparrow photo and one of my favorites. I wrote in "Talkin' Bird Photography" that "photography is the pursuit of photos that work." This one does. The photo was an afterthought. I was shooting in the same area where I'd photographed the immature Red-shouldered, and had wrapped up for the morning. … Continue reading Color Play
Photography Takeaways
Many of you enjoyed the last two blogs—blogs about a hunting Red-shouldered Hawk and a human hunting party. What follows are photography takeaways from the first of the two, "The Scuffletown Creek Hunters." Tread lightly. Birds are always aware of human presence. If you see birds in the field and you want to get closer … Continue reading Photography Takeaways
The Scuffletown Creek Hunters, Cont’d
Many loved Joanne Howl's touching European Starling story in "A Life Lesson." One reader commented that it wasn't just a story about starlings, it was a "lesson about prejudice." I responded that she'd made a great point. Another reader commented that starlings were "hoodlums." I responded, "WE might be the real hoodlums." I don't think … Continue reading The Scuffletown Creek Hunters, Cont’d
The Scuffletown Creek Hunters
Scuffletown Creek, an Elizabeth River tributary in Chesapeake, VA, was a mess. I wrote about it in "The Same River Twice." Dave and Lindsay, two old-timers who grew up nearby, remember houseboats in the creek, homes with outhouses lining the creek, and sewage and diesel fuel flowing into the creek. They remember tapping the creek … Continue reading The Scuffletown Creek Hunters
A Life Lesson
I've received a lot of feedback since publishing "All God's Critters" and "A Few Random Thoughts." I'm grateful so many read them. What follows is a quick summary with a couple of personal thoughts thrown in. Some people don't like European Starlings. Their scientific name, Sturnus vulgaris, could have something to do with it. Or … Continue reading A Life Lesson
A Few Random Thoughts
I'd like to open with this shot of a Canada Goose flying above the surface of Scott's Creek in Portsmouth, VA. Talk about a species that is an awesome photo target. To me, this is a quintessential fall photo. Canada Geese are considered "harbingers of the changing seasons." This is also a quintessential goose photo. … Continue reading A Few Random Thoughts
