Blue-tinted Ritual

At the beginning of summer, we bought a bird bath and put it in a corner of our backyard. I was hoping to attract a few birds so I could watch them in the comfort of my home, while helping them by providing a regular source of fresh water.

Not only did my little bath appeal to birds, but it became the main attraction in my backyard. I discovered that each species of birds have their own schedule, and sure as a clock, they show up in groups at the same hour every day. The most common visitors in my yard are Black-capped Chickadees and Blue Jays, the latter being the easiest to photograph as they are bigger and more colorful. I haven't yet found the way to make good pictures of dark colored chickadees with my new camera, but I am working on it.

I picked a few pictures to illustrate the ritual of my dear blue jays:

Watching from the nearby trees to make sure all is safe;

Perching on the bath, double-checking for safety. One false movement from the photographer and off he goes;

Quickly taking one big sip;

Rising high to swallow;

When we're lucky, birdie will hop in the bath;

And splash water everywhere;

Just out of the bath, getting back his composure;

And off he goes, back in the trees to get dry and plan the next visit.

Happy bird-watching!

Sylvie