Trust

Woke up this morning and there was snow on the ground! And believe it or not, it snowed all day - big fat flakes. Not so much accumulation though as the temperature hovered around 0˚C. A nasty wind was blowing, and a walk through the woods was cut rather short. No outdoor blips today.

I take my bird pictures from our bedroom through the door that leads out onto the balcony. There is a tray feeder attached to the balcony rail, and I put a few natural looking sticks around to disguise the fact that I'm bribing the birds (like the one that the doves are sitting on). When I'm outside, the reflections from the glass are strong enough that I can barely see in. However, when I'm at the window with my camera, the birds, I am sure, can see me quite well.

I have noticed that there is a strong correlation between the size of the bird and its skittishness. Chickadees and nuthatches don't mind me at all - in fact I can even step outside without frightening them too much. Blue jays, on the other hand, take flight if I so much as look in their direction from the other side of the room (I have great respect for anyone who can photograph blue jays). Woodpeckers are in between - the red-bellied woodpeckers are regular visitors and they have learned to tolerate me quite well.

The mourning doves have been driving me nuts though. They never come to the feeder when I'm around, but if I leave the room and return, there they are, chowing down! That means that they are waiting, some place that I can't see, watching me and hoping that their patience is greater than mine. But perhaps it was the cold weather today, and maybe they were really hungry, but finally they relaxed enough to visit while I was at the window and not flap off in a feathery panic. Maybe, at last, I have their trust. Now I have to work on the red-winged blackbird!