Skip to main content

Robin. An Afternoon Bath. Van Saun Park. April 2011.

If you haven't noticed, the Robins are out in force. Their reddish, bronzy breasts make them easy to identify. They stand tall and proud; they epitomize the old saying to keep our breast out and stomach in. I spotted a lone Blue Jay a few days ago along the stream that flows through River Edge, and that's a bit of a rare sighting. Even more rare is a sighting of a Cardinal. I reckon even birds have to drink and take a bath, and a waterway is a good place to spy on them for more than a fleeting moment.

Here's one I chanced upon in Van Saun Park. It was an unusually hot day for early April. The temperature peaked around 80F. As I said, the Robins were numerous but this one seemed to have excused himself from the rest to take a most personal bath. And I was there to play voyeur. Fortunately, I had my long telephoto lens on my DSLR and I started clicking away. Photo opportunities don't come easy, particularly with birds. Always bring your camera. No red-blooded biophiliac will be caught without one. Consider it a blessing when a photo opportunity presents itself to you.


Comments

Catherine said…
Great photos Ted! Thanks for sharing. Who doesn't enjoy the pleasure of a cool bath or swim on a hot day – man or fine-feathered friend?

I haven't been to Van Saun lately, but my mom says it's blooming with the colors of the season.
Ted Teodoro said…
Thanks, Catherine.

I spoke too soon. This morning, while walking my dog, I spotted 3 Blue Jays and 2 Cardinals. The cacophony of birdcalls convinced me that there is something big happening in the bird world in my neighborhood. They are heralding the coming of Summer, greener pastures and leafy trees.

Popular posts from this blog

Philippines. Reporting Animal Cruelty. Emergency Numbers. RA 8485.

Because I belong to an group of animal welfare advocates in the Philippines, I can read the numerous discussions between group members and people who, seems to me, just signed up to make an urgent plea for help. There were two this week who begged for assistance concerning two dogs who were tied up under rain and sun with no food nor water. One was described to be on the verge of a heat stroke. The images that filled my mind disturbed me immensely, but I am also encouraged at the same time. There is a growing number of animal welfare advocates in the Philippines and ordinary citizens are beginning to reject animal cruelty, willing to take personal action against it. Just from this website, I can see from the visitor data that many are seeking information on how to report animal cruelty in the Philippines. You can find my previous post on the subject HERE . Keep in mind that your complaint has legal standing via the Philippine Animal Welfare Act which is also known as the RA 8485 ....

Three Members of the Philippine Shooting Team and the Killing of Protected Philippine Wildlife

When a member of the animal or plant kingdom goes extinct, there will be no second chances. Evolution will simply not repeat itself. There are reportedly eighty bird species that are unique to the Philippines and many of them have already made it to the endangered list. And we, to a great extent, have indiscrimate hunting to thank for it. In spite of two national laws protecting Philippine animals, the carnage continues unabated. The killings could occur as arbitrarily as guys getting together for macho time, or as a result of a well-planned hunting trip involving speed boats, bird callers, and camouflaged outfits. Either way, the outcome is the same. Philippine wildlife, our natural treasures, inches closer to a state of irreparable vacancy. Not too long ago, we learned about the Bacolod Air Rifle Club (BARC) whose unbridled killing of Philippine birds and ducks became the subject of an online petition calling for immediate government intervention. My post on that most disturbing c...

Pitbull Saves Family from Cobra, Killed in Action

Take a good look. Doesn't he seem like the vicious pitbull we have been warned about? Temperamental and treacherous? He'll attack family members, even children. Well, actually, he was far from it. I said that in the past tense because Chief is no longer with us on this Earth. Two human beings are alive today because Chief gave his life for them. How many people do you know who are willing to make that last full measure of devotion? He saved an 87-year-old Liberata la Victoria and her granddaughter Maria Victoria Fronteras from a cobra that slithered through an opening in the family’s kitchen. The confrontation left two dead, but let two others live out their lives. This was in Cagayan de Oro City (Philippines) in February, 2007. Chief's story is one that hardcore anti- pitbull people would have trouble understanding and accepting. But, here it is whether they like it or not. Those who are plain ignorant about the breed might free themselves from this prison by giving...