Getting Comfortable

It took me an hour and a half to get my first bird picture at the Chehalis Wildlife Area, and I was beginning to feel like I’d wasted my day. After considerable walking, however, I noticed a pair of birds rising high into the air and then diving wildly, pulling up just before hitting the water. I was sure this was a bird I’d never photographed before because I’d never observed that unusual way of diving.

Needless to say, I was shocked when I finally managed to get a picture of one of them sitting on a branch overlooking the water.

Cedar Waxwing

Nothing in my experience with Cedar Waxwinga would have suggested that they would be here chasing insects. Online research revealed that they do feed on insects, not just on fruit as I’d previously thought.

Once I’d gotten my first shot, it wasn’t long before I encountered several more birds, including this friendly little Black-Capped Chickadee that flew from one side of the road to the other, apparently in an effort to help me get the perfect exposure.

Black-Capped Chickadee

Then in the distance I saw three ducks scatter as I focused on them, certain that they must be wood ducks, one of the few ducks that runs across the water rather than bursting immediately into flight when spooked.

Wood Duck Running on Pond

I even managed to get a couple of shots of Dragonflies, like this Darner.

Darner

Suddenly everything seemed to fit in place, and as I looked up at the sky I couldn’t imagine being anywhere but where I was.

Shot of Clouds against Blue Sky

5 thoughts on “Getting Comfortable”

  1. Your photography is marvellous – love your bird shots. Sorry I thought you were a “she” – have altered my mention of you on my blog. Thanks for the kind things you say about my poetry. One of my main aims in making a blog is to get my poetry read – what is the point of writing it if nobody reads it!

  2. I’m surprised to hear about Cedar Waxwing diving behavior. I’ve always seen them on branches, as in your fine photo. I like learning something new about them.

    I like this combination of close-ups, ending with a panoramic view. I’ve enjoyed the clouds this summer. Find myself stopping to stare at the sky more than usual when I’m out doing errands.

  3. I talked to a birding friend, and she said they were probably trying to catch dragonflies, a favorite food, am.

    That would make sense considering their erratic dives, as they tended to corkscrew through the air.

  4. Beautiful photographs- wish I was one of those birds seeing the land from above and catching a breeze!

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