The eye begins to see.
We had so much sunshine last week that I’m just now getting around to processing the Easter Pictures I took Sunday. Somehow the best of them seem to feature pink, like Mira
in her pink dress holding a pink egg while totally oblivious to the nearby pink egg in the tree.
Although these apple blossoms could probably be called â€?”white,†I would argue that the predominant color is pink.
I know hearts are supposed to be red, but I think these, at least, are a brilliant pink.
Although shorebirds are the highlight of the Spring here in the Pacific Northwest, locally songbirds are much more prevalent, especially at the Theler Wetlands in Belfair. My favorite bird this time of year is the Tree Swallow, but so far I haven’t managed to capture a picture of one. So last Friday I had to settle for this shot of a Barn Swallow
sitting on the railing where I usually get the best Tree Swallow shots.
It was sunny and quite â€?”birdy†there Friday, though some people might not be impressed by Gold-Crowned Sparrows,
upside down Chickadees,
or feisty Ruffous Hummingbirds
protecting their territory from other males.
If I’ve focused on the Spring migration of shorebirds and ducks, it’s probably because it’s much easier to get pictures of them than it is to get pictures of songbirds. I suspect, though, that more people would associate Spring with a Song Sparrow
serenading hikers out enjoying the sunshine than either shorebirds or ducks. I know I always did before I took up birdwatching as a hobby. Luckily, Song Sparrows seem to be the least shy of songbirds, except for the ever-present Robins.
White-Crowned Sparrows
aren’t quite as bold, but they nest here in the Summer and aren’t shy about trying to attract a mate, even if it means attracting an occasional photographer.
Lincoln’s Sparrows are also supposed to be common here,
but they’re shy enough that this is the first time I’ve managed to get a picture of one in the five years I’ve been birding.
Although Killdeer are a rather common bird, I started paying attention to them long before I â€?”officially†started birdwatching. Like most people, I probably noticed them because of their distinctive cry, a cry that’s impossible to miss once you’ve learned it. Many years later, they remainl a personal favorite.
It should come as no surprise, then, that I am also fond of the Semipalmated Plover, perhaps because I tended to confuse them until my last trip to Ocean Shores. Though the Semipalmated Plover is 7†tall, 3†shorter than a Killdeer, it’s hard to distinguish that difference when you’ve never seen them together.
After seeing both on the beach a short distance apart, I doubt I’ll ever confuse them again.
Seen near each other, it seems amazing that I could ever have confused this Killdeer
with it’s relative, even if they are both plovers and both sport a fancy racing stripe.