I wasn’t literally back in the backyard, I was revisiting a photo shoot from two years ago. That was the second year that I watched this Sandhill Cranes couple raise a family right under my nose. I knew from experience that this would be the one day that those parents would keep the babies right there, close to the nest. I had been shocked the year before when they had marched the two day old chicks off the nest and disappeared and didn’t return until late afternoon. I took 415 pictures that day, which I have now culled down to 22 photos. My first photo was taken at 1:45 in the afternoon, and between the harsh light and the fact that the babies were in grass that was taller than they were, even the new zoom lens I had bought couldn’t get much of a picture. But still I kept shooting. My last picture was taken at 5 PM, and by then the light was much nicer and the parents had taken the babies to the edge of the water where they were more visible. And that’s when they all swam to the nest, which was on a small island in the center of the lake. 
Also on the lake that day was the ever-present little blue heron, and a tri-colored heron. 
I think I remember that this was a Pied-billed Grebe. This was one of the many different birds that dropped in for a visit, and then I didn’t see them again. The wildlife I saw from my backyard is what drove me back to my interest in photography. And what a blessing that has become for me, bringing me new friends and adventures. I’m happy to re-visit these photos while I wait to see what adventures are still to com.
A Snowbird's Life Through the Lens 