all creatures great and small

Late afternoon visitor

Last year I set up some bird feeders in the backyard, to give me some test targets to improve my shooting technique, as well as try out new equipment. Both things which I saw was desperately needed if I were to ever capture high quality shots of the hummingbirds that inhabit Clove Lakes.

If you've seen the numerous shots of the hovering iridescent beauties I captured at the lake last fall, you can see how far a journey I still have to go before I can start capturing shots of them that will take your breath away. So I needed a testing ground that would give me lots of chances to try out every bit of new equipment, and every new technique, till I have everything down to a science come September, when the newly flowering jewel weed will attract the hummingbirds once more in mass.

And as it turned out my bird feeders have helped me weed out the good equipment for the task from the bad, or nearly not quite good enough. And provided me with ample opportunities to try ever new and better techniques that will allow me to capture quick darting feathered friends, just as I had hoped.

But after a while I got tired of just capturing shots of sparrows, and longed for a few more colorful and interesting visitors to my backyard. And so I purchased another bird feeder from Amazon and set it up in the backyard about 5 weeks ago, and loaded them up with suet cakes and dried meal worms. For a month I got nothing. But a few days ago my luck changed, and a smile came across my face.

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