Saved by the Birds
Winter of 2021 was a difficult time for me, personally. Not only was the COVID19 pandemic raging, keeping me stuck inside with nowhere to go, I was also dealing with a lot of family health crises. I couldn’t wait for spring so I could at least get outside and rejuvenate with some fresh air and sunshine. Once it came, I was out on the small back patio of my parents’ home every morning and early evening—a saving grace after a long, dark, difficult winter being walled in.
It didn’t take long for me to notice the plethora of backyard birds zipping back and forth between the trees. It just so happened I had recently purchased a new telephoto lens, so I pulled it out and took a few snaps one afternoon. My initial results were fab, and I suddenly found myself hooked on bird photography—something I had not done before. I promptly added a few bird feeders to keep the birds visiting more frequently. And every day, as I watched the trees come back to life with their spring blossoms, I snapped away with my camera as the birds stopped by to chow. It was a fun project, and my friends and family enjoyed my work. I learned along the way, too, like the difficulty of photographing fast moving critters; how the cardinals feed their young; and that finches eat tree blossoms which I had not before noticed. I also enjoyed the challenge of attracting and photographing as many kinds of birds as possible. Birds are beautiful, fun to watch, and their bird songs are a lovely way to mark the start and end of every day (stop and take a moment to listen one day if you can).
I never aspired to bird photography, but it became a badly needed creative outlet during difficult times that brought me many moments of joy. In addition, constant learning is my jam—it keeps me feeling alive, ever evolving, and engaged with life. So the next time you’re feeling stuck or kind of down, pick something new to learn, for fun or for work. Anything to perk you up, and get you moving forward again. It works!
I hope you enjoy my first collection of bird photographs.
