Sparrow in Flight

To those challenged by lack of patience we recommend hanging a bird-feeder. Ours made it out there, visible from the dining room, thanks to John Magee’s height and dedication to help feed the avian population during hard times. We’ve learned that by the time you get the camera, the bird sitting on ours will have flown away. To be sure, the first birds that found us were chickadees. They come swiftly, take a seed, and are then immediately back on the big bush to eat it. We decided to be patient. One of these days. Our camera is parked on the dining room table. In due course came cardinals, first the female, then her mate. Then sparrows in numbers. They are quite contentious. Finally even mourning doves showed up; they found that they were too big to eat comfortably at our restaurant, but the sparrows spill seed carelessly enough so the doves too have managed to get some food from the snow below.

The current picture, captured by Brigitte, is thus far the winner for March. It actually captures a sparrow in flight—and two others already feeding. A close look at the photo shows the flyer’s wings, moving to become almost invisible. They are really moving to become even barely perceptible.

Indeed, we didn’t even discover the flying sparrow until I’d put the photo on the machine and cropped it to enlarge the relevant display.

The image of the Chickadee comes from Wikipedia (link). The light conditions, and our little camera, are not up to taking so sharp an image, although we have one or two showing tail feathers and chickadees resting on the bush (the name of which eventually, after I learn it). At this time of year, we get busy preparing for Spring. A rather attractive humming bird bar, a Christmas present, is awaiting to be hung. And on our recent visit to English Gardens we at least fingered a package that promises to draw, with its content, both humming birds and butterflies. We shall see...