Home. July 27 2021. I’ve been wrestling with some camera problems lately, I’ll spare you the details but that crumb of information is relevant to today’s birds of the day.
Late July is not good birding, it’s so quiet. The frenzy of spring migration is far behind us, most birds have either raised their broods to independence or are tending their second or third ones. I left home this morning, long before breakfast, to walk one of my favourite circuits, mostly for the exercise. It was a pleasant walk but, for birds, it was unexceptional – although I suppose an Eastern Screech Owl, a Black–crowned Night Heron (photo below) and a three sunlit Great Blue Herons like marble statues in the early light must count for something.
Back home, digesting breakfast in my colourful back yard, I thought it would be good practice to have binoculars and camera at hand; I was right. An out of sight but nevertheless close Carolina Wren starting belting out its I’m-in-charge territorial song. I don’t think Carolina Wren know any way of singing other than loud; while they can purr and mutter softly to themselves, their song is for broadcasting and is always delivered at full-volume. After a few minutes, it moved into my line of sight, perched on a wire, nicely lit, nicely positioned and with a clean background; perfect for a photo. I pointed and clicked off two pictures, the second one just as it flew; for my troubles I got one barely acceptable picture and one empty one. I could have done better, the camera and I were not quite the team I wish for, still, this is it. Not a great photo.
A few minutes later, a Ruby–throated Hummingbird paid a visit to our small patch of scarlet Bee–balm or Monarda didyma. Hummingbirds favour red flowers and it’s a frequent, if usually fleeting, visitor. I had a reasonable line of sight and the bird stayed fairly steady in its hovering but my camera and I, as a team, were non-existent . To be fair to the camera, it did what it was instructed, but my instructions were all wrong and I ended up with half a dozen pictures either way out of focus, over-exposed or hopelessly under-exposed. This photo below was taken six years ago at the same patch of Bee-balm.
I enjoyed both of these back-yard birds, they added something to this soft summer morning and were my joint Birds of the Day.
