For the past couple of years we’ve been reworking our front and back yards to make them more ecologically sound and, eventually, a haven for birds and other animals. The transformation is going to take some time, and we’re improvising during the transition time (as we remove certain plants/trees and replace them with others).
Our bird feeder out the front window has always been a great visual treasure for us - especially on weekend mornings. We know that birds like to have a bit of a sanctuary to fly to when feeding out in the open. More perceived safety = more birds. We took down some trees in the front yard and so we “replaced” them with a pile of sticks. Works even better than the trees did!
A couple of years ago we had the house windows replaced with some nice “high tech” super-insulated units that are just amazing in terms of clarity and insulation — especially compared to their predecessors.
Last Saturday we had a young Cooper’s Hawk land on the pile of sticks and try to nab a bird. It even walked into the pile! Great stuff, but it took off before I could get anything other than a butt shot (plus it was cloudy). But I knew it would be back.
Sunday, the sun is out and lighting up the front yard. I’ve got the camera on a tripod and aimed out the window — practicing technique, etc. — but, really, waiting for the hawk. Three hours later a blur passes from right to left. She’s here! Betsy spots her up on the telephone wire looking at our pile of stick (with birds in it). A minute later she’s on the pile, 12 feet in front of us, looking for lunch. Spellbinding!
A few minutes later I’m reviewing my perfectly exposed images and wincing. They’re nice, but the window has destroyed the details (you can see it in the sun’s reflection in the eye — it appears elongated because there are multiple spots there — the background also has some “unnatural” striping). The double panes create multiple refraction surfaces and the images are less than ideal. Sigh! All that wonderful technology and still, if I want a great photograph, I have to open a window (which is kinda hard in the dead of winter).
I don’t care — just watching these magnificent birds is good enough for me. But as soon as it warms up, I think I’m going to spend a few Sunday mornings outside in a blind….