Finally Caught on Camera

Every year we look for new lives visiting our garden and nature has never stopped surprising us.  I still remember when I saw my first Downy woodpecker in the garden years ago when the yard was still barren, just green lawn and trees.  I was so excited to see the woodpecker, a rare occasion back then.

After a decade of organic gardening and expanding it out over our lawn a couple of feet a year, we now have plenty of visitors in the garden.  We have a lot of Downy woodpeckers; five or six of them at a time.  They became so common that they no longer drew excitement.  And, they have no fear of us either.  So now we look for someone new to arrive or among the annual migrating visitors.

I finally got a shot of the Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) this year.  I first spotted the bird last year but very briefly and wasn’t sure it was an Indigo Bunting.  Three days ago it landed only a few foot from me.  I froze.  I couldn’t turn the camera around without scaring it off.  The telephoto lens wouldn’t have focused that close anyway.  After a few minutes he took off so I had my chance.  Not a good one but I’m happy to have my first shot at this extraordinary, beautiful bird.