Friday, January 12, 2007

Loving the Pursuit

This was my first five-day work week since December 15 and I’m glad I made it through. The older I get, the more I enjoy Fridays. It’s been a cold and almost winter-like week in NC but Sunday is predicted to be in the mid 70’s again. 74? The warmest winter on record so far. Where am I? Lucky me – I got this photo through the sunroom door this evening. I love, love, love, seeing the birds quench their thirst on the waterfall!

For a short while after I got home from work, I parked myself on the ground, about fifty feet from the feeder. Every shot I have of this Song Sparrow shows blue eyes. I wonder if they are really blue. He surely blends in with the ground colors and I hope you can see him... The ground feeder birds didn’t care about my presence but the feeder birds did… So, after five minutes, I gave up and let them relax. Then I walked inside the yard and stood about ten feet from the feeder with camera around my neck. What appeared? A Tufted Titmouse! No doubt! With a silent “oooo and awww”, I raised my camera. He took one look at me and was gone. Another “Damn!”

Bird watching is a lot like playing a round of golf. I haven’t played a round in a few years, but I remember the anticipation and high hopes before every hole. On some holes, you tee up, drive, and continue to hit worm burners or sharp right hooks into the woods until you finally get to the green. Feeling frustrated to the point of quitting, your mind takes you to the next hole, somehow, and you dream about what your next drive might bring. Possibly a Birdie or an Eagle! (I’ve never had an Eagle…) That Carolina Wren and Tufted Titmouse will be within my reach very soon…

A sequel to yesterday’s glimpse of the Great Blue Heron. Again today, there he waited. I call him a “Stinker” in an affectionate way. The GBH did me wrong many times and proved to be a thief but I am mesmerized by his majestic beauty. That’s why I pulled over again, parked, and walked a long way down a steep hill to get closer but he was still very far away. My friend birders and non-birders are probably thinking, “Oh, that Mary is a genuine fruitcake.” That’s OK. This happy fruitcake is up for a challenge!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mary - are you saying you have a waterfalls in your back yard? That is so nice! I love watching birds drinking water.
Ohhhh, tufted titmice are hard to catch, but you'll do it! I have photos, albiet very fuzzy ones.
Love your photo of the GBH! He looks like he was posing for you again!
I don't think you're a fruitcake at all! And I don't care what people around me think when I'm taking photos (just as long as they leave me alone, I'm fine)! If they blogged they would understand!

Anonymous said...

Those titmouse take off on me also! This was a hard week for me also having to work a full 5 days in a row! But, I do get monday off!

Mary said...

Pam - I have a pond (with waterfall) stocked with Koi and Goldfish. I take photos a lot in the the warmer months when the Canna is so beautiful but now it's all in a dormant stage. Been pond-keeping for a long time. That's what has made me notice the "bewds" for so many years.

MonArch - I was so close to that titmouse and he disappeared in a flash! I'm off on Monday, too. Thank goodness.

Susan Gets Native said...

Titmice are fussy like buggers. I am convinced they move in their SLEEP. I will wait, for long minutes, trying to get their pattern down...
1. fly from tree to feeder
2. grab a sunflower seed and fly back to tree
3. imagine unspeakable horror in tree and instead fly into neighbor's yard
4. Get another sunflower seed
...and I still fail to get a picture. I think I have one decent one, and he is sitting facing the sun so he didn't see me.
But they are cute. Those big eyes and little topknot of feathers.
And don't worry about being a fruitcake. I like that in a person.

amarkonmywall said...

Out at Wit's End, our little Michigan cottage we had until this past summer, the GBH repeatedly cleaned the goldfish otu of the neighbor's pond. It got to be quite comical over time.

Abby is very athletic and she does love to swim more than anything else- swim and dive- but she runs daily and I'm glad of that. Me? I really don't like to run. At all.

What is your 24 year old doing now?

Mary said...

Susan, that's funny the way you described a titmouse :o)

Vicki, I can laugh about the GBH now but it's never funny to realize your pond has been cleaned out. My daughter graduated in 04 from UNC Wilmington and just moved near us this past summer. She works at Wachovia headquarters in Charlotte. Hasn't swam a lap since college and is thinking about swimming again instead of the regular gym workouts. Running and swimming are the only two things that keeps the weight off, so she'd rather swim.

Anonymous said...

I love reading about your birding adventures Mary. :c) Titmice are notoriously fast to steal a seed and run.

Anonymous said...

More excellent pictures Mary. Do you mind if I add you to my blogroll?

Mary said...

Laurie,

Of course I wouldn't mind! You are already on mine.