An instant bluebird sighting

Rarely does a photo opportunity present itself so quickly as it did this afternoon when I stepped out of my car at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm.

After a morning of rain, the sun shone weakly through an overcast sky late in the afternoon. I spotted a bird atop the park map sign at the edge of the parking lot, but the bird was in shadow and tough to identify. I moved to my left and pulled up my binoculars to discover it was an Eastern bluebird.

I quickly brought up my camera and fired off a couple of shots before the bird flew off. At 4 p.m., I wasn’t expecting to find many birds out and about, so I considered this quick spot a good omen.

There was plenty of activity by our feathered friends, it turned out, with lots of common yellowthroats, song sparrows and red-winged blackbirds populating the fields.

I was pleased to spot an Eastern kingbird perched in the grass ahead of me. It flew ahead a couple of times, and the best I could manage were a couple of shots of its backside, white tail tip visible but not much of the head showing.

Cedar waxwings were hanging out at the AT&T Building One oval, including one that didn’t seem to mind me approaching. Against the gray sky backdrop, I had trouble finding the bird through my viewfinder, but eventually I was able to focus and produce a fair shot.

On my way back to the car, I spotted another bluebird (at least I think it was a different bird) perched on a stake. It flew off and I was able to catch it in motion, with a determined look on its face. At least that’s how I interpreted it from my human point of view.

It was nice of the bluebird(s) to bookend my walk, which I was able to take because I’m on vacation all week. Another wet morning is in store for early tomorrow, and I’m hoping to get back out with my camera once the rain stops. 🦅