It began with a sunrise:

2013 04 20

(For any who share my addiction, here is another sunrise from two days later, when i searched in vain for Lyrid meteors.)

Back home, i set out my first two tiny tomato things.  I’ve never done well with big sandwich varieties, so this year i plan to grow just romas, and rely on the local produce people like Shane and The Rock Ranch for the large, pretty ones.

small -8819

While ripping up mint to make room for tomatoes, weird stuff happened behind me at the edge of the yard.  There was a pair of these birds [identity, please!]

small -6487

squawking madly and checking out bird houses—including the one currently occupied by this year’s first batch of blue bird babies.

small -6479

This clued me in on the possibility some action might be in store, so i peeked out the window a time or two over the next few hours between breaks from a webinar by photographer Sal Cincotta.

'guest' bird

I wasn’t able to catch any of the dog bird fights that ensued, but if violence is desired, take a gander (or some other bird) as to what it’s like to be a stool pigeon on daddy bluebird’s radar:

stool pigeon

To finish the day, i met with Emma and Bo to re-visit the field of red clover.  My new camera is a year old now, and as such—it seems to think it can do for itself.  I get a little annoyed when they start acting that way: “Let me do it…I can take this picture…Stop helping me!”   On and on it goes.  I sometimes say, “You’re a camera—you don’t even have opposable thumbs, much less fingers with which to aim yourself or snap the picture.”  (But I don’t think it can grasp that  : )

small -6761

small -6738

small -7097

small -7023

small -6983

Bird epilogue:  i was delighted to happen upon a recent post by one of my photographic heroes, David Hobby, who blogs about off-camera lighting.  This one contains a couple of spectacular shots of his recent bluebird adventure.  You're cordially invited to view more of my bluebird images here.

in joy,

king

small -0248