Hey! Look at Me!

Have you ever felt as if a bird was asking to be noticed? I’ve experienced it a few times. Most notably, I recall an Eastern Kingbird modeling for me near our pond last year. Curiously, as I sat there before its arrival, I had a thought, “it would be so cool if a bird would just land right there – right on that branch so I could catch a wonderful image of it.” And, then it happened. Cue that music that brings forth a feeling of “w-e-i-r-d…..”

A couple of days ago, I had a similar experience – only this time I felt so connected to the bird that I wondered if it were a deceased relative or friend trying to communicate with me!

In my golf cart, as I always travel around our farm, I went to a location late in the afternoon. It was actually early evening, around 5:30 PM. My intention wasn’t to to film so much as to secure an audio recording of the owl that I have heard there many times, but never captured. I was in an area that was obscured by long, deep shadows of large, mature trees that line a dry creek bed about 75 feet from where I had stopped. I was facing a hedge-row of trees that created the southern border of our property. Beyond that stand of trees, there was a lovely meadow which the neighbor typically cut for hay.

Almost as soon as I settled in, I saw an Eastern Wood PeWee take flight from a low, horizontal branch. It flew out just a few yards where it appeared to nab an insect just off the ground. Then, it returned to the same perch from where it first took off. After a minute or two the behavior was repeated. This went on for many minutes. Often, the bird flew within a few feet of me as it hunted down an insect in the mowed area along the stand of trees where it was homing. I positioned my camera in that direction and snapped the shutter each time it returned. However, I assumed I was getting nothing of value since it was dark enough that my old eyes couldn’t even determine if the subject was in focus looking at the view finder.

After some time of failing to hear the owl, I told the little bird – I actually spoke out loud – “well, I’m leaving now, but it was great hanging out with you.” As I gently pressed to accelerator of the vehicle, rather than spooking and going the other way like most birds, the PeWee flew parallel to me and landed on a branch not too far ahead of me. It came to rest in a singular patch of sun which was filtering through the hundreds of leaves of the massive trees. I wondered if that bird knew to stop there in order to offer me the best opportunity to capture it’s beauty with my camera.

Of course I stopped and attempted to focus on the bird, but I struggled. I still consider myself a rank amateur when it comes to photography and it didn’t help that I actually had dialed a click too far when I was shifting from the video setting (which I use to collect an audio recording) to the “sport” setting that I use most often when filming birds. Once I resolved my error, and wasted time cursing at the camera because I couldn’t seem to focus…again…. I clicked the shutter a few dozen times before speaking.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I got a good shot of you, but thanks for giving me such an opportunity,” I told the bird. “I’m heading home. I pointed as I said, “I’m going this way, If you want to join me, you are welcome.”

Dang, if that PeWee didn’t track with me me, again! It flew just a few feet ahead of me to a old, weathered fence post. Unlike the low hanging branches that it seemed to prefer when hunting, the post offered me a clear view of that drab colored bird, without the complication of other branches or leaves getting in my way of focusing on my subject. That lovely, green meadow provided a clear backdrop for filming. By that time it was moving towards 6:30 PM, in late September. I had secured my camera for the trip back home, but it would not have been right not to at least try to film that special little bird, once again.

When I downloaded the pictures I was surprised that there were some salvageable images to share. Even the final sots in the deep shadows offer a decent image of such a lovely creature.

Now, perhaps the strangest part of the encountered happened the following day. While the sunshine drew me out, the crazy-high wind speeds (gust of up to 30 mph, sustained winds of 12 mph) made me realize that it just wasn’t going to be a day for observing birds. I found a place, we call it the corridor by the old herding arenas, where the trees held back the breeze and muffled the noise. But, I didn’t see one bird in the span of an hour so I decided to head home.

Typically, I drive the golf cart through our farm, past the pond and the stand of Ponderosa pines and along hedge-rows and through meadows in order to give myself the chance to catch a glimpse of a bird, or other animal. But, with the wind as severe was it was I was certain that wouldn’t happen. So, I drove over the culvert entryway of Sham’s Paddock onto our rural, county road and turned right. I wanted to get back to the house as efficiently as possible.

Then, just as settled in on the pavement, I saw a movement. As it landed on a fence post to my left, my eyes were drawn to the little, drab brown bird in flight. Our eyes locked even before my brain was able to determine the species. It was an Eastern Wood PeWee! It remained perched atop the post (which was just about ten feet away from me), as I drove past and moved up the road. I have to say, in my experience it is exceedingly rare for a bird to remain even within twenty feet of me as I pass by. As I pondered that thought, I heard the words in my head, “Who are you?”