without earbuds 3

Oh! My mystery bird lands in a tree. A big tree. And I zoom in.

Is this a bird that you think of in trees?

I am walking without earbuds, watching and listening.

I take pictures and walk closer. This bird is silent, but I try to imitate it’s call. It knows I am watching, though I am a block away….

For the Daily Prompt: enamored.

without earbuds

Here is a mystery.

This picture is for scale. I went for a walk three days ago, without earbuds. I walk without earbuds so I can listen to the birds. And I mimic their calls.  I have a series of photographs of the latest bird who flew closer to see who the mimic was. See if you can guess the bird. She is not visible in this picture.

When I started the walk, a person ran by with earbuds. I feel so sad, seeing that they are cut off from nature even when they are outside. I grieve for the disconnect. And then I have a magical mysterious interaction with a very unexpected bird and joy returns…

fly

I took this yesterday too, nearly blind into the sun and zoomed in. I learned to hold my breath for the zoomed in photos when my daughter was in synchronized swimming. I could not see which bird this was until I downloaded the photo: a red-breasted nuthatch. I love the nuthatches, going head first down tree trunks to find food. This feeder has many birds visiting both yesterday and today….

Mother, daughter

Hooray for the eclipse, and everyone of all sizes and colors and genders who came together and enjoyed it!

I did NOT get a good picture. I was working. And ours was partial.

In the afternoon I got up and saw this mother, daughter pair resting in the back yard. I am on a busy street for our small town, but the fence along the street makes this a quiet place, unseen by cars and walkers and local dogs. I love that the younger one is mimicking mom’s position.

 

fountain fish

This is our Galatea Fountain again: the fountain is cooling and the sound of the water is delicious on a hot day. I hope it cools the eclipse hunters, but even more, I hope hatred and discrimination and anger and bigotry cool and slide away in healing and love.

Two steps forward and one step back: I hope we lurch towards peace.