We received another photo from Dr. Bob. You might remember him for the Cooper’s Hawk with haunting eyes in Daily Sightings Jan. 6, or the sexy female cardinal in Guest Essays last Dec. 10.
Well, the doc did it again, with a Shakespearian quote to explain the “how-to.” But before we go there, gotta say—this bright yellow bird is a show-stopper and brings to mind our personal description, “summer bird.”
As two-fisted bird watchers know, summer days are lazy and that applies to sightings. The uninitiated think—hey, it’s summer, get out and enjoy the birds and bees and all that nature stuff while the gettin’s good.
But, actually, it’s a quiet time for birdwatching. Maybe because nesting is mostly over. Maybe because migration isn’t happening. Maybe birds are just lazing around. But there’s one bird out and about in high summer.
The American Goldfinch, designed to be noticed. Bright yellow. Frisky habits. It flashes in meadows, grasslands and gardens. Dr. Bob got it. This shot is a freeze-frame from a colorful video capturing the bird fussing with thistles.
How did the doc grab such close-up footage? “Readiness is all,” he said. “A favorite line from Hamlet.” He added that surgeons know, “readiness” can be life-saving. But for now, we’re just glad the guy had his camera ready when the bird of summer came along.
