As with this photo of the osprey, it was a fleeting moment. At a blink of an eye, I would have missed this photo shot. In life, we do not know when that fleeting moment will come upon us.
Although we think we have time to prepare ourselves, do you know if your spirit will go into the heavenly bliss or into the fiery pit? When will that fleeting time knock on your life?
At the time I took this shot, I had no idea why I was photographing a typical park pigeon. But, when I brought it up on my computer I see what I didn’t see. When I truly looked at this bird, it is beautiful. The luminous green giving off a brilliant sheen, various shades of blue and grey, and the bright red eye outlined with a black ring. Even the markings create unique patterns and shapes on these stout body birds. As with life, I sometimes tend to skim the surface and not take the time to see the true colors.
With a twinkle in its eye, this young mockingbird eyes the ripe green cluster of grapes. When the grapes are ripe, that is the time to set up a relationship. The symbol of grapes represents a joyous fellowship.
It is known that if a bird eats enough grapes, the bird will take on a state of being intoxicated. Hmmm!!! Is this what it takes to build up the nerve to do the ritual mating dance, spreading its feathers, spreading its wings, and stepping cautiously to support balance. Day and night the mockingbird is heard doing vocal imitations of other birds. All for a joyous fellowship.
In the book “To Kill a Mockingbird”, the mockingbird symbolizes innocence.
Photo by: Richard Smith
I get great pleasure in photographing birds. It’s not just to capture the detail, light, or composition of a picture. The enjoyment is the outdoors and to learn from the animals, in my case the birds. Like this picture of the Hermit Thrush, food is there for the picking. They eat what they need and leave some for others. Nature provides the material, source of nutrients and water for their survival. Not only does God provide for all animals and insects, He is there for all who believe.
This tiny bird known as the Golden-crown Kinglet must have read my mind. I was thinking I’d like to get a good shot of its crown. No sooner said, he leans down to show me his famous icon, the the golden crown.
The common house sparrow adapts easily to environmental changes. They are seen in many geographical areas. We know the sparrow existed in the Arab countries. In the Biblical reading, Jesus used the sparrow to show that God loved all his creatures. It was ceremonially clean and eaten as food by the poor.
These birds are not native to America. They first came to Brooklyn, New York in the 1850’s. Now, the house sparrow is a year round species in the continental United States. Some people consider these birds undesirable. They make a nuisance by nesting in man-made structures, especially in the eaves of homes.
Like the elephants and hippos, these little creatures enjoy dust baths. They are often seen creating little dust storms as they roll in the dirt. When the sparrows move on the ground they hop instead of walk like other birds. The adult sparrows are mainly vegetarian, but the young birds, when first hatched, feed on insects for their diet.
I photographed this Eastern Towhee as he takes a break from foraging through the leaves to splash in the cool clear water. I guess it needs to clean off all the dust and dirt after rummaging through the ground clutter. Good sanitation and hygiene !!!!!
1kayaker 