If only the goal had been to see great blue herons, then our trip to Circle B Bar Reserve would have been a roaring success. Or actually if we’d wanted to see anything except painted buntings. They are migrating through right now, judging by the gorgeous pictures posted online, and that was our reason for heading there yesterday. And yes, we saw them, but only at the end of our day of hiking, in the heat. while lugging all our equipment. Someone with binoculars pointed them out, off in the distance, and requiring you to shoot into the sun. We took his word for it and started shooting, but it wasn’t until I got home and did a huge amount of work on these pictures that I could see that yes, they were painted buntings. Not at all the pictures I’d hoped to get, and I’m posting them even though they are awful, but they may be the only painted buntings I ever see. I’m hoping to go back and try again before they move on.
The feature photo is a female painted bunting, with is my feature photo. She was in a better spot and the first bird I saw while I was waiting to meet with my friends. She was very bright green when she flitted into the sun. The first time I saw a picture of a male painted bunting I thought it looked like a little kid had dumped out his box of crayons and colored in a bird with a little of every one. It didn’t look real to me. Yes, I need to go back and try again.
A Snowbird's Life Through the Lens 
Except for COVID vaccine appointments. Even patience doesn’t work for them.
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