Camera Critter Sunday No. 5

I thought for this week's Camera Critter Meme, I would do it about my favorite bird.

I remember the first time I saw one of these birds (at least the first time I paid attention to what I was seeing). I was living in Prineville, Oregon and out sitting on the front porch. In a tree across my landlord yard, I could see a yellow spot moving around. So I went inside and got my binoculars. When I came back outside, I saw the bird fly from my neighbor's tree to a tree near me. I put the binoculars on him and WOW! Beautiful bird! He had a paper wasp in his bill and was looking right at me. I watched him until he decided he wanted to fly away. From that moment on, he was my favorite bird.

Several years ago I was at Crane Prairie Reservoir, which is south of me. I sat down at a picnic table and was getting a drink of water when one of my favorite birds landed about twenty feet away on a rock. I lifted my camera, took a couple of shots, then put the camera down. A few seconds later, the bird took off, and flew directly towards me. I was amazed when this beautiful bird landed within three feet of me...right next to my camera. It proceeded to walk over to my Canon, cock its head from side-to-side, up and down, then it turned to me, stared me directly in the eye, blinked and took off for a nearby tree.

Last weekend I was out on a walk-about photo safari and I came across three or four of my favorite birds hanging out in a couple of trees. I climbed the hillside, stood, and took several photos of the nearest one. So now, without much more fan-fare, may I present the Piranga ludoviciana, or Western Tanager.