Birdwatching ...

Marlene Terry

I'm sharing the very clear ... well, at least it's a very REAL photo of my backyard fence that I took not too long ago, so you'll know I do try, and often, to get a photo of one of the beautiful birds that visit my feeders.

And no it's just not a photo of a fence but the exact place a flicker (of the woodpecker family) sat while laughing at me, as I snuck unnoticed (I thought) across the lawn, camera in hand, hoping to do just that.

OK. So my dream of becoming a wildlife photographer hasn't quite happened yet. But as we all know "nothing ventured, nothing gained," so I'll keep trying.

However the photo of the gorgeous indigo bunting you see today, taken by my friend and extraordinary bird lady, Denise Hughes of the Southwest Idaho Birders Association shows that "take away your breath" bird photos are indeed possible.

Denise happened on to the bunting, after an invitation to 'come see it' arrived.

"I was in High Valley with a friend looking for spring migrants when we received an email telling us about the sighting, she said.

"We immediately headed to Hailey and when we arrived at the site, the homeowners invited us in so we could watch the bunting and several other birds that were feeding in the yard.

"This is the fourth or fifth time I’ve been invited into a home so I could view an unusual bird. And I'm always impressed by the warmth and friendliness of people that I meet when I’m out looking for birds.

"Birdwatching is truly a friendly hobby!"

Hey Denise, just so you know. We were also visited by one of those gorgeous little birds this year.

It was a beautiful day in May. My crab apple tree was in bloom, and filled with pink blossoms, and that very bright blue bird was easy to see as it sat on one of the branches while making my heart skip a beat.

I took a photo too.  ... And if you ever want to see a close-up of the VERY BRANCH where the bird sat that day ... I have a couple!

♦Hope you'll let me share your stories and photos here at my new residence "In a Nutshell." Email me at nutshellstories@gmail.com.