A Very Funny Story

This series of photos precedes an event that I unfortunately do NOT have a photo of. And to even see these very well you might have to go to large. But in any case - here's what happened:

I was standing on the front porch with my phone, using the Merlin app to try to identify an odd sound I was hearing that could have been a bird. I decided it wasn't a bird, but I saw a Carolina wren in front of me on the rock under the maple tree so I pointed my phone camera at it  (I haven't included that photo). It then flew to the porch and landed on the wood watermelon slice that The Husband painted and has sitting there. I swivelled to my right to get a shot (some shots!) of it, close to me, on the watermelon slice. And it hopped closer. And closer. And then even closer. And THEN - it flew up, coming straight towards me, and landed ON MY PHONE - which I was holding straight upright about a foot from my nose. I don't know which of us was more surprised. Our eyes met, and it clearly thought "Oh! Yikes!" and turned and flew away. I could not believe it!

There are three or four Carolina wrens that hang out on the porch, and roost there at night. I think they are siblings, juveniles from one of this year's broods, and were born in the box that is up in one corner of the porch ceiling. I see them going in there in the evening sometimes. So this was probably one of those youngsters.

What a hoot!