Birds

Birds entertain us, sometimes with intention, others on account of their own sense of curiosity about us. Talk to enough birds and some will talk back, perhaps in your native tongue. The same might be said of our inmost delusions of outmost certainty, e.g., the non-fiction hallucinations documented within psychiatric literature which provided molds for the flippant Thalidomide Kid of Cormac McCarthy’s final, paired, novels. But the birds are real and others, outside observers, can watch them react inquisitively, heads cocked and coming closer, when the bird-curious human pishes in their general direction, or whistles their tunes back at them, off key. Break bread with birds of a feather, or a mixed flock, and they’ll be at your table the following morning whistling for more. With great patience on your part, and great trust on theirs, the bold among the wild ones will perch upon fingers and nibble treats from an open palm.

And speaking of pishing, my wife was once part of a band that wasn’t, but she argued that it should have been, called Pishing for Pterodactyls. They were that good.

Since I’m not on up close & personal terms with many of the island’s birds, my most frequently used lens for these shots is the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM.

Hats off, by the way, to the sculptors and artists whose work I’ve photographed…if it’s your work, please find me and I’ll be delighted to give full credit and a link to your site (yes, eventually, soon even, I’ll have a contact page).