My afternoon, in photos

I was sitting outside in the sunshine, minding my own business. It was chilly, but in the sun, my shutter finger wasn’t frozen. I sat still. And closed my eyes.

I could hear birds in the distance, children playing, traffic a long way away. The drone of a plane, and then the flutter of wings. The birds had come back to the feeders.



As much as I like winter, I love the promise of spring on a sunny day. I captured a chickadee at the feeder.



I took photos of the branches against the windows of the house.




I captured a male house finch as he called to his mate.




I watched as another had a bite to eat at the feeder.




It felt so good being outside. I could almost smell the earth coming alive, although there’s ice and snow left in the shady parts of the property.




I took a portrait of my friend as he lolled about nearby.




I could hear the beating of the bird’s wings as they flitted about in the branches above me and I closed my eyes for a few moments.




And then I opened them. And I saw what looked like a large bird approaching the feeders. All the birds took off, including this tufted titmouse.




A hawk! Everything happened so suddenly that all I could see was a flutter of wings – large wings.

And then all was still.




And I captured him as he perched in the dogwood tree.




And it wasn’t  until I opened the photos in Photoshop that I noticed that he had also captured something. You can see it here.

And it was awhile until the birds began to return to the feeders.

The end.



I do believe that is the same sharp shinned hawk again. They look a lot like the Cooper’s hawk, but my husband believes this to be the sharp shinned. Hope your Monday is a good one.