By contrast with the cold, really cold weather we have been having, Wednesday at -3 degrees was wonderful. I spent the morning birding and could actually take off my gloves to adjust my gear.
When I unexpectedly found myself with a free afternoon, too, I decided to go for a walk around Long Pond. The trail was in good condition, and there was lots of bird activity.
I was really surprised by the number of birds, nothing special, but lots of birds. The scattering of bird seed all along the trail was the draw.
There were bags of sunflower seeds, sprinklings of mixed seed on the ground, and hanging suet and seed blocks all along the way. There weren't many walkers which provided me with plenty of opportunity to tuck myself away into the edges of the trees and just watch the show.
The first three photos above are the usual shots I get in this area. I was hardly prepared for this Red-breasted Nuthatch that swept in and landed so close to me, I could hardly adjust the lens to handle a shot. It stayed for more than a minute, just checking me out. Perhaps, he thought I was bringing more food.
What a great moment! It is a marvel to see a typically busy, little bird take a breather and just stay still.
Try thinking about anything else when birding. It isn't possible. Birding has a way of peeling away all of the layers of the world, leaving only the moment at hand.
This was a real bonus, and before I knew it, I had whiled away yet another two hours of sheer contentment.
I was really surprised by the number of birds, nothing special, but lots of birds. The scattering of bird seed all along the trail was the draw.
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