Until today, the birds have tended to disappear when I stopped outside with my nature camera. Today, I figured out how to do it. I sat in the car and drove it about 20 feet from the bird feeder. I turned off the engine, brought all the dogs inside, and just sat meditating, dozing a bit, thinking.

After 20 minutes – on the dot – the birds returned and started flying to the feeder we had just refilled. Suddenly, the birds paid no attention to me, and I could hold up my 400 mm lens, rest it on my shoulder, and sit patiently. Four or five small songbirds flew up and made themselves heard. I didn’t want to push my luck, and I also realized that I was distorting the photos by severely cropping them. A big lens like this will do that.

Interestingly, the camera picked up Maria hard at work on her fiber art. The birds didn’t seem to care. The wind is already severe, but the birds seem to fly through it. Zip hung around, trying to figure out what I was doing. I ignored him, and he got the message and ran away.

The wind has really picked up – severe weather alerts everywhere. Maria is going to her belly dancing class tonight. I’ll be right here writing about some things. Stay tuned. Here are some of the new bird photos. It’s dark and gloomy and spooky outside.

I got my new lens to zoom up and get this larger picture, but I need to figure out how. I’ll figure it out.

I enjoyed sitting in the car quietly, waiting for our birds to take their chances with me.

I missed a few big birds; I’ll get them tomorrow. I loved seeing Maria at work. Today was a breakthrough; I’ll figure it out tomorrow. I’m also thinking about the pictures of birds and nature I will try to take in the spring. I’m learning a lot now.

They were hiding from the wind.