BIRDS OF A FEATHER

My husband has gone to Kentucky to pick up my neices and nephew, and has taken my camera with him so I have decided to revisit my old files.  I have thousands of exposures on my computer, of various degrees of quality.  Some of the files are almost identical to pictures taken on another date and then some pictures I swear I've never seen before.  Robins are very cooperative subjects for me.  This little guy may actually be the same one I photograph on each visit to the Cattail Marsh.  Sometimes he will actually hop over within a few feet of me and casually peck at the gravel near my feet.

The northern flicker is also a familiar sight along the path to the marsh.  They are extremely camera shy and will move around the opposite side of the tree upon my approach.  This is about as good a shot as I've ever gotten of one so far.

I captured this tender shot at the man-made-pond in town.  The parents hovered protectively over the little chicks but once they felt reassured that I meant no harm, the lessons resumed.

The spotted towhee is one of the noisiest little creatures in the forest.  This little guy scratched through the fallen leaves and twigs for a meal for over an hour.  I can't say that I recall it ever making a cheep or chirp, but it sounded like a herd of elephants crashing through the undergrowth.  The red eyes give it an almost evil appearance.

These redwinged blackbirds fluttered almost welcomingly to me as I explored the edge of the pond by the cattail field.  It took me a while to comprehend that their gestures and musical calls were not playful at all.  They were trying to get me to move away from their nesting ground.  The dried reeds hid dozens of nests woven into the leaves.  Disappointed that I had not suddenly developed Doolittle skills in animal communication after all, I left the poor birds in peace.