This post goes for 'Show me a photo (of a bird)' contest, round #116. Week's topic was 'Something funny'. (4% of my post rewards goes to Feathered Friends community's power).
In the recent weeks I made a lot of captures: seagulls, pigeons, great grebe nesting; but the first thing that came to my mind, as the "funny photo", is a thrush chick that I stumbled on a walk in the park 10 days ago. Look at the set of photos below, and you will probably agree with me that it leaves a funny impression.
He was sitting on the grass ... but no, it was bare clay soil, as the grass had not grown yet; he was warming himself under the miserly spring sunshine.
This is the very first shot I took. Oh, and I forgot to warn you: for this walk I equipped camera with a 300m telezoom, as I was purposely going to hunt for some spring birds.
So, probably it was some kind of magic,-- from afar his small (and motionless) body looked like a pebble against the clay background - but I really felt some attraction, and was driven to come closer hoping to find out it was a bird... and it turned I was right! a surprise find rewarded me in such a pleasurable way.
He definitely stayed frosty -- as he opened the eyes as soon as I approached. In my second frame you see the eyes are opened and he looks at me. The next 5 mins I spent chasing annoying this little chick and preventing him from getting a calmly sunny bath. I felt it was a bit guilty pleasure, but I could not restrict myself... on the other hand, I still didn’t approach him at arm’s length, and didn’t prevent him from calmly basking further? ... it’s just that the chick did not agree to reduce the distance by less than three meters. Instinct!
It is exactly the characteristic plumage on his chest that allowed me to identify him as a thrush chick. Telezoom 300mm rules! at least in those cases where a) the target stay motionless, b) it is well lit, c) I manage to get closer to it. In this photo you can watch so well his growing plumage, the remnants of the original fluff that feathers replace in time... by the way, can someone tell me what is the age of the chick in this photo? ...
After that there were several more takes, all the same, and finally in photo #11...
...his patience and tolerance annihilated! the chick angrily and unambiguously expressed his indignation at my impudence, and left.
(Look at his legs! arent they touchy ?!?! )
In the following dozen of "action-photo", my 300mm telezoom once again proved its worthlessness... second-rate, defective nature,-- you name it. It didn't do the job, leaving me with blurry photos. But still, you got a rough idea of how the chick acted :))))
The sprint!... I really needed a different lens to capture it in all the glory. My Canon 70-200mm definitely would fit better here, but I did not have it with me... anyway I had no time and will to change the current lens.
Of course, he tried to spread his immature wings, and it looked sweet and cheerful ... and useless. This chicken, while on the ground, can only rely on his feet - and it's good there did not happen a single cat nearby, but only one photo-hunter (me).
Perhaps here my story comes to its logical end.
And... let me add to my post one more photo, as a teaser:
Recent photo of Great Grebe ducks nesting at the very same location in my local park. Oh my bad luck! I took these photos exactly two days after the "nesting" week theme have passed :))) but I didn't feel sad about it, no way, just lol at this coincidence 🙃 Ok... see you in my next post, dear friends! even though I did not decide yet what it will be. Have too much fresh photos on my hands, again; isnt it nice?!
All images taken by me, copyright (c) 