Close encounter with a field sparrow

Every once in a while, I experience a fleeting moment of bonding with a bird. This morning, for example, I was walking a trail in the northern section of the Pole Farm when I spotted a field sparrow on the ground, barely five feet in front of me.

The bird and I had a brief moment of eye contact, and I said, “Hello there, little fellow!”

Then the bird flew across my path and landed in some shrubs about 10 yards ahead of me. I took a few steps forward and it flew another 10 feet or so, settling on a bush for a few seconds.

Next it flew to the edge of the woods, almost directly across from me, and settled on a tree branch. At that point, I managed to snap a few frames, including the one atop this post.

We eventually went our separate ways, but I distinctly felt that the bird and I had shared some quality time together. Most of my bird shots are from a distance, shrunken by the focal length of my zoom lens. I was glad I came so close to this one, near enough to say hello. 🦅