Sometimes I get so caught up in trying to photograph birds that I don’t get the enjoyment that comes from just watching them, studying their habits and listening to their beautiful songs (and I’m not that great a photographer, so it can be doubly frustrating!)

That’s why yesterday was such a great day. I had cleaned and refilled the hummingbird feeder, and filled the seed feeders with a new mixture that included a variety of nuts. I decided to leave the camera inside while I sat out on the patio with just my binoculars, my field guide, and a Dachshund :)

To my great surprise and delight, one of the first visitors to the yard was a White-Breasted Nuthatch. Adriane had seen him once before, but this was the first time I had spotted one of these little guys in our own yard! He was on the feeder, grabbed a nut, and flew off to the neighbor’s cherry tree about 25 feet away. I got a wonderful look at him through the binoculars as he had his snack, then proceeded to “peck” at the bark while he haphazardly circled the tree in a downward-facing position (my assumption is that he was digging for insects below the bark). A short time later, he flew onto the fence post and sat there for about three or four minutes, giving me a great chance to just observe and enjoy the wonderful color patterns in his feathers, his unique compact shape, and more. Jesus did a wonderful job (as always!) in creating him :)

I also got to see (and hear!) our Ruby-Throated Hummingbird couple, as well as some Northern Cardinals, European Starlings, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Mourning Doves, Blue Jays, House Finches, and American Robins. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves and their snack treats. I even got to hear our American Goldfinches singing for the first time!

This experience reminded me what I love about birding. It’s the beauty and enjoyment of God’s creation and not necessarily whether I can post a photo on my blog.  There will be plenty of opportunity for that in the future. Yesterday was all about the fun of it :)