On April 3, 2021, I hade invited a neighbor to come watch birds in the yard. We probably sat for over an hour watching what, to me, were the same old birds. We were joined by our wives and there was probably more conversation taking place than bird watching. Suddenly, appearing from nowhere, there was a male Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) warbler sitting on a staging stick by the watercourse right in front of us! As we watched it proceeded to take a five-minute bath during which I took some 50 photos. Here are some of the most representative…

We all marveled at our experience and the opportunity to view the bird under such close-up circumstances!

About two weeks ago a Townsend’s chipmunk emerged from hibernation and is now spending significant time in the yard. Here it is, upside down, getting a drink from the watercourse…

To complete the day’s photographs I photographed this female Rufous hummingbird with her tongue extended…

I’m hopeful that we’ll have a better year for migrating birds than we had last year (2020), which was rather sparse.

Birding photography has been a perfect activity for getting through the COVID epidemic in that I could participate for hours at a time with no mingling. My wife and I are now four weeks past our second Moderna vaccinations. While the height of the migration is probably still a month away, if you’re interested in trying your viewing luck you are welcome to come over and bird. We still have seven species of sparrows in the yard and are offering a special on Eastern Gray squirrels… two for the price of one! Happy Easter!