Pheasants, Orioles and Blackbirds - Oh My!

 

I was surprised a couple of Julys ago, when neither of my bluebird photos won a ribbon at the Stafford County Fair ... not even a white ribbon.

As I thought about it, though, I realized that I see much better bird photos on Snapshot Kansas, a Facebook group where both professional and amateur photographers post their favorite shots. The fair judge didn't need to think about the photo like I did: I was considering how many photos I took just to get a few in focus. (And, those bluebird photos were especially rare because neither Randy or I had ever seen a bluebird in our area before. So seeing mountain bluebirds in our pasture and an eastern bluebird at the Stafford golf course was especially thrilling for us.)

Still,  my quest has continued for the elusive pheasant photo. On a trip to the Ninnescah pasture to check cattle last week, a stately rooster cooperated. It's always a challenge. I was shooting from the passenger seat through Randy's open window. I'd whisper and tell him to move the pickup s-l-o-w-l-y as the rooster strutted. 

I was mad at myself that I'd missed the tippy-top of the tail feathers in this one, but it's hard to hold the camera steady when the zoom is extended that far.  

But I can't complain with the results. I guess he wasn't in too big a hurry that lazy evening.

We weren't in too much of a hurry for a few snapshots at the bridge either.

My pheasant photos were the postlude to the day. 

A stop at the Peace Creek bridge on the Zenith Road had a red-winged blackbird enjoying the scenery, just like I was.

Peace Creek

I also got a photo of the first Baltimore oriole of the spring to visit our yard.

Randy put out grape jelly, and this guy showed up within 5 minutes. Unfortunately, that day, I only captured one in-focus photo. 

But I finally got a few more.

"Hey, guys! I know we bought the cheap brand of jelly, but we'd love to have you return to the buffet often!"

"Would you go for some Welch's?"

For the Birds

Crop updates, rainfall totals and gossip aren't the only things served up alongside bacon and eggs at Joan's Cafe in Stafford. And grape jelly isn't just for putting on that whole wheat toast that cozies up beside the breakfast special.

Randy heard through the grapevine - so to speak - that grape jelly attracts orioles. A plethora of blackbirds dominate our backyard branches. In hopes of enticing more colorful visitors, he decided to test the grape jelly theory. He cut down a 2-liter pop bottle and plopped in a hefty spoonful of grape jelly, then hung the contraption from an unused TV antenna wire.

Huh ... Joan's breakfast crew appears to know what they're talking about.

On the other hand, this amateur photographer has only been able to "capture" the backyard tourists through the porch window so far. But I'll keep trying, since we're now on our second jumbo jar of grape jelly (and we haven't consumed a single spoonful).

Our fishing trip last week netted a somewhat blurry photo of a red-winged blackbird. That was the only bird who lit on a branch long enough for me to click the lens a few times.

The spring afternoon trip was a success even if we didn't catch a single fish.

 

We caught a clam.

We caught a turtle, though there is no photographic evidence to support that claim since Randy had to cut the line to free it.

 

I caught some time reading. (I moved the lawn chair to the shade shortly thereafter and was much happier.)

 

We caught a glimpse of the two bulls and the cow-calf pairs since they came up to investigate who was invading their summer vacation spot.

And we caught some beautiful scenery.

Let's hope the Monarch butterflies "catch" the news that there are milkweed plants blooming in the pasture.

And it's always good to catch a beautiful sunset, especially when the news of the world is so bleak.

From Romans 8: 26-27

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.