Social distancing is hard.
Spring is here and it is the time a nature photographer should be out in Nature. I should be photographing killdeer chicks in flower fields, watching bushtits build a nest, or perhaps checking out some warblers. Instead, I am staying close to home and feeling a bit anxious and agitated.
One day last week, I was having a particularly hard time with being stuck at home. I needed a bit of a mental break. I put on my fuzzy slippers and headed out to the backyard for a breath of fresh air. I stood next to my red flowering currant and clicked my heels together three times while repeating my calming chant, 'there's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home'.
Suddenly my head became filled with a humming, buzzing sound. I opened my eyes and there in front of me was the most glorious Anna's hummingbird, partaking of the sweet nectar of the currant.
And, just as suddenly, I was reminded that Nature is where you find it. And, sometimes the best, most fulfilling nature is found right in your own backyard.
Happy Earth Day. Celebrate like your life depends upon it.
Spring is here and it is the time a nature photographer should be out in Nature. I should be photographing killdeer chicks in flower fields, watching bushtits build a nest, or perhaps checking out some warblers. Instead, I am staying close to home and feeling a bit anxious and agitated.
One day last week, I was having a particularly hard time with being stuck at home. I needed a bit of a mental break. I put on my fuzzy slippers and headed out to the backyard for a breath of fresh air. I stood next to my red flowering currant and clicked my heels together three times while repeating my calming chant, 'there's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home'.
Suddenly my head became filled with a humming, buzzing sound. I opened my eyes and there in front of me was the most glorious Anna's hummingbird, partaking of the sweet nectar of the currant.
And, just as suddenly, I was reminded that Nature is where you find it. And, sometimes the best, most fulfilling nature is found right in your own backyard.
Happy Earth Day. Celebrate like your life depends upon it.
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| Flowering native plants, such as the Red flowering currant attract pollinators such as this Anna's hummingbird |
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| Anna's hummingbirds are one of two species of hummingbird commonly found in the Puget Sound region of Western Washington. The rufous hummingbird is a summer resident. |
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| This hummingbird is sitting on the branch of a cotoneaster plant. The leaves are about 1 inch in size |
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| Anna's hummingbirds weigh between 0.1 and 0.2 ounce This is about 20,000 less than an average adult human |