First Bird Photo of 2008

It was a beautiful sunny day. But....it was bitterly cold. The projected high was in the upper teens, and the wind had a real bite.

Regardless, I spent a good part of the day out and about with the camera. The vast majority of the day was spent in the warmth of my car.

The first bird photographed this year was one of the most common birds in North America.


larger image

I took a number of photos of the flock of robins. I was struck by the difference in the color of the breast of this robin and the color of the bill.


larger image

I often don't pay much attention to the "common" birds. They are, after all, common. But when I take a photo of one, I am usually struck by the fact they too are "pretty". A number of years ago a friend had robins nesting in the covered patio area. We spent hours watching that pair of robins. When the first batch of photos were developed I remember being surprised at the white ring around the eyes. I had seen robins all of my life, we had spent hours watching them coming and going, but had never noticed that white ring before. To this day, when I see a robin, I always look at the white ring and smile to myself.