Mother Goose

There are birds everywhere these days.  I have feeders outside my front porch which attract lots of song birds and little pretties, much to the dismay of my "car-proud" son. 

"Why do you feed those #%&#!# birds?  They poop all over my car!"

I feed them so they will come close and I can get a good look at them, take pictures and see more of the beauty of nature. 

I love the birds.  I love waking to hear them singing in the trees.

 I love watching them interact with each other, and I really love the babies. 

Who can resist babies?

While I was intently taking pictures, a lady came up to me and pointed out that I was standing not three feet from a mother goose sitting on her nest.  She was a silent and still as a painted post.  She didn't even blink when I took her picture.  If I hadn't been told, I would have missed her altogether.

I did get two separate sightings of a humming bird, but by the time I realized what I was seeing, it was gone.  I hadn't even raised the camera to my eye.  Blink, and he was gone.  I have added another feeder now to attract humming birds, but so far I haven't had success.

The sassy blue jays have eluded me as well.  I did get the red winged black bird, but he was hiding his red shoulders and looked just like a grackle.  I am rapidly realizing why hunters use duck blinds....those birdies have sharp eyes, and do not like to be spied upon, even if it is with a camera and not a rifle.

On the other hand, birds do have natural enemies they should do everything they can to avoid.  Maybe it's my cat lazing in the front porch that makes them jumpy and difficult to photograph.