Eurasian Collared Dove

Eurasian Collared Dove

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Lunch with my Wife and some friends

Great Crested Flycatcher
     I picked up my wife yesterday and brought her to a quite spot overlooking the back of a reservoir. It's quite and all you could hear were the birds. Yeah she caught on pretty quickly as I said, " Did you hear that song?" She laughed and said " Yes", in a slight tone. I said," I'm just going to grab a set of bins from the trunk. Would you like a pair?" " No , Thank you,." she replied. Next thing you know I'm on the passenger side door setting up my equipment while trying to be chatty. My wife just smirked and continued to eat her sandwich. Did I tell you I made that sandwich? Just saying. Anyway I took a look off to the left of were I had heard the Great Crested and sure enough he was sitting on top of a tree about 150 feet away or so. I watched him watching for bugs. When he saw something he liked he came swooping in for his meal. After his capture he came to sit on a rusty barbed wire fence about fifty feet away. Well I should say only the barbs were rusty but they looked so good next to him. I was nearly focused and I was lifting my camera as he turned his back to me. I didn't mind he or she is such a beautiful bird front or back would be fine with me. I began telling him to look over here. After a few snaps he decided to see who was talking to him and turned around allowing me some front shots as well.  Very exciting when they kind of pose for you. I reached for my drink and gobbled the last of my sandwich up and continued chatting with the wife all while waiting for the next friend to come along.

Great Crested Flycatcher
I didn't have to wait long at all. An Indigo Bunting made a brief appearance and did sing for us a few times. At 100 feet away there was no way we could miss him in all his color and song. I snapped a few more while listening to my wife express her upset with the lack of company procedures. I think that's what she was saying as I said " Hey look over their on the Queen Anne Lace, it's a Red Admiral in all his glory. She looked and smiled and had to agree with me despite me giving her less than all my attention. She just rambled on about wanting the daisy's and lace and a few of the other flowers and how they would make a gorgeous bouquet. I told her as I was snapping shots of the Admiral that the lace is bug infested. And that the daisy patches have ticks galore. She looked a little suspicious because of my quick answer. I knew I had to prove this one. I  went up to the small daisy's and retrieved a lovely wood tick from the flower and brought it over. Little did I realize I picked one up on my leg just by going in there. I took him off a few seconds later as I felt him crawling on me. She was convinced and done with lunch. As we left I said, Thanks for having lunch with me." She just smiled and said, Glad I could come along for the ride." I am wondering as I write this if she might have been being sarcastic. Well either way I bagged some good shots, and lunch was yummy too.



Indigo Bunting in mid song.

Red Admiral Butterfly