Bird and Photograph Locally

I’m an unabashed bird lover and watcher. So are many of you. Birds have aesthetic appeal and they’re captivating. They provide a connection to nature. They take us outside ourselves and our preoccupations. Some believe they provide a connection to God.

Female Bufflehead

A Local Jaunt–Sketch #1

A week ago I arose early and left a note for my wife. I wrote that I was leaving to chase a Crested Caracara in Bull Run. I was joking. Crested Caracaras do show up in Virginia, but there were no reports of any. Furthermore, I almost never chase. I was really leaving to look for House Finches in South Norfolk. I wanted to find a flock in hopes that I’d find a few Purple Finches (irregular winter visitors here) mixed in. I had no luck, but I did come across another crested and boldly patterned bird: a Pileated Woodpecker. It was a…