It was an overcast, cold day when Calvin the California Towhee fluttered down on top of an old, junked car in the hills just east of the little, Northern California town of Cloverdale.
"Oh! Look here!" remarked Calvin, "Rainwater has collected in the dented top of this old car! It looks like the perfect place for a bird to take a bath!"
So Calvin jumped into the water and proceeded to take a wonderful, refreshing bath!
"Oh, boy!" Calvin chirped.
"This feels so good!"
"I just love to take baths!" Calvin twittered.
"What was that sound?" Calvin wondered, "Oh, well, I don't see anything... Just that human lady with a camera but she never hurts any of the birds." So Calvin resumed his bath with even more gusto than before!
"I especially like to wash my tail!" Calvin smiled.
"I think I've probably had enough bath," Calvin said finally.
"Besides, it's getting pretty chilly out here..."
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 21
Next year I have to try out my new camera to see what the bird watching function is all about. They gonna find the birds for me?:)
HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!
:-)
Most of the birds around here think that my camera will eat them... or is it that I will?
One thing I've learned, Heather, from photographing birds is that it pays off just to stand, motionless, in one place until you hear or see one come close... Then you have to move very SLOWLY raising your camera up and try not to make any sudden moves or turns... It's difficult to always be able to focus it properly because sometimes even the sound the lens makes as it focuses or the "snap" sound of the shutter closing is enough to frighten them off.
The secret is to be very quiet, move very, VERY slowly and get off as many shots as you can of each subject -- HOPING that at least ONE of them will come out okay... You wouldn't BELIEVE how many I miss, though, even so... I usually just delete those right there and don't even download them into my computer...
Awww... Always so supportive, my friend CF... You are a true, blue friend... :o)
These images are just wonderful. I can't believe how you were able to catch the lady in her bath. Looks like she had quite a juguzzi there.
As a rule, towhees are fairly "calm" about the presence of other animals and people (one description I've read even referred to them as "sluggish") which makes the job a LOT easier!