Back to Theler

My 100-400mm lens proved its versatility on its first trip to Theler. As it turned out, birding was slow, and I ended up focusing more on the flowers than on the birds. Though I love the challenge of photographing birds, I also enjoy the beauty of flowers. For me, the first Trillium I see of the year

FrstTrlm

is almost as delightful as the first Tree Swallow.

Of course, it’ s also impossible to ignore the beauty of al the apple, plum, and cherry trees in full bloom,

CrbApl

even if I still can’t tell them apart.

No wonder so much Chinese and Japanese poetry revels in their spring beauty.

SnyBlsms

I can’t see lilacs

LilcsBlm

without being reminded of Whitman’s masterpiece “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d.”

It wasn’t until I near the end of my trip that I finally saw a few birds, like this male Tree Swallow

400mmTreSwlw

and the first Barn Swallow I’ve seen this year.

FrstBrnSwlw

I’ll have to wait until a later trip to see how well the lens handles birds in flight, but so far it has done everything I’ve asked of it, despite the inconvenience of hauling around a heavier lens than I’m used to.