This post goes for 'Show me a photo (of a bird)' contest, round five!
Week suggested topic was 'small bird'.
You see, we do not have any hummingbirds here. And although you cannot go wrong with pigeons, I will be the 1st to argue they arent THAT SMALL. So, my 1st idea was to find a photo of a wagtail, I remembered clearly that I have one occasional session in my archive.
Its a good photo, I like it, nothing wrong with it... (below is uncropped version of this photo).
But, actually, I was focusing here more on a shadow, than on a bird. Perhaps it would not fit very well, although the bird is really small. Check the next frame: wagtail in comparison with... yes, yes, the ubiquitous-everywhere-petetrating-pigeons.
So, I decided it is not what I want, and continued searching. And, voyla! -- in the same folder I found a picture I really forgot of. All these photos are from my walk to the local park I did this spring, right in the middle of C-19 hysteria (on May 8, to be precise). I equipped myself with telephoto lens and it was kinda an exploration: to see who or what could be found in the park at that time. Maples have just begun to bloom, the buds have not yet turned into leaves ...
I met ducks, pigeons, sparows, this wagtail, and... its really a nice story -- I am happy to share it. But it is actually, quite plain, maybe there is nothing special about it to tell.
I was walking, looking around, looking for someone to photograph, and suddenly I heard singing near the maple alley. I don't remember exactly how this bird sang, but I remember that I experienced a strong sensation, it was something unusual, outstanding from an ordinary environment - I turned my head, earned my ears, trying to triangulate the source of the sound. And I quickly found it - the source was located above my head! This bird selflessly sang her spring song. She was very small (compare with maple buds), gray and ugly. If it wasn't for the song, I would never have noticed it.
I took 7 photos, but so far I will only show one, since only one photo is needed for the competition. Below is uncropped version of this photo.
Maybe this is the best and most memorable small bird that I have met. At least, thru the recent years. upd. 