“A joy shared is a joy doubled.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

So let me share some joy.

Mid-March is the most wonderful time of year, not only is it filled with anticipation and the first signs of Spring Migration, but it is also my birthday. What a difference this year is from last. Last year was the first days of shutdown from COVID. No celebration for me. I put a pile of whipped cream on a plate, stuck a candle in it, and sang Happy Birthday to myself. This year I met with vaccinated friends outdoors in a park, then met with family outdoors in the back yard for birthday celebrations, and I got my first vaccine! By the end of the month, birds are starting to sing their spring songs, migrating birds are starting to pass through, winter visitors are leaving, and summer birds are returning.

After a few storms blew through, large flocks (or gulps as they are called) of Violet-Green Swallows started to make their way north to the mountains. They were everywhere, and in the hundreds in some places like the LA river. Within about a week they were all gone. It was an amazing sight. It also posed a challenging photo opportunity. They move so fast that it is hard to focus on one. It takes hundreds of photos for one good shot, if you are lucky.

A leaky sink by the picnic area makes a wonderful bird bath. A Western Bluebird took advantage of the puddle, and I took advantage of the photo op. Common in the mountains and foothills, but the Oak Titmouse is not often found at the coast. Yet here it was in one of my local parks. It is a small bird with a large personality and a large vocabulary. I saw a nice assortment of flycatchers this month. Empids, as they are called, are very challenging to identify. Don't try this at home. Vermilion flycatchers are much easier to identify, as their name suggests they are a brilliant red. Some diving ducks at Bolsa Chica put on a show. I found the water splash patterns fascinating.

This is the time of year when shorebirds are making their long migrations. They are stopping along the way to feed and find food for their long journey. Large flocks of birds are found on our beaches. What is it about large flocks of birds that makes us want to chase them and watch them fly? Small children often do this with glee. There is something in the human spirit that is lifted by birds. People want to have their grandchildren enjoy the the same experience. They may even tell them, "I used to do that when I was your age. There were so many more birds then."  However, humans have removed much habitat with development and beach recreation. Food sources have become scarcer.  When people or dogs chase them, the birds expend energy to fly away and come back, after having their resting or feeding disturbed. Some birds don't survive the journey. Most people are unaware of this. As one individual person chasing birds, one time, there is probably not much harm done. However, collectively with all the humans, I fear this adds up to more impact on the birds we love. As years pass, there are fewer birds for humans to chase. One important opportunity for birds to feed is after grunion come up to lay their eggs in the sand. Grunion Runs occur at night on very high tides at specific times and in specific locations. The following mornings the migrating birds come to take their fill of grunion eggs. I went with a friend to Seal Beach to witness this feeding frenzy. It was a spectacular phenomenon. I am constantly learning new things about the intricacies of nature. Unfortunately the joy was marred when one dog walker told their off-leash dog to 'sic 'em', chasing off the birds. Yes, the birds will come back if you chase them, but they will have expended much energy to do so in the process. My friend tried to educate him, perhaps with an elevated tone of urgency in her voice. I am sure he was just there to enjoy the beach and the birds, but words escalated between the two in the exchange. I'm sure the joy of the moment was diminished for all. Often we don't know the harm we do, even if unintentionally, and education is slow and sometimes painful. I fear that our ignorance of nature, even if we love and cherish it, will cause us to have fewer and fewer fleeting moments of joy.

One of my photo groups had the theme of Black and White. One late afternoon, I loved how the light was streaming into the garage where my husband was making things with woodturning. I grabbed my camera and made the photos into black and white for effect. The next theme of the photo group was Double Exposure. So if a joy shared is a joy doubled, is a doubled photo a joy? Not necessarily. This is extending way beyond my usual interest, but I decided to give it a go. I got creative with it beyond pure double exposure. I'm not sure that it is for me, or that I have done justice to the technique, but it is good to get out of one's comfort zone and try something new. I am not experienced at photoshop, but think I prefer to play with messy paint and ink. View it with that perspective. Remember, sometimes it is wise to suspend judgment.

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Watch the slideshows or click on the links to look through at your own pace. Links open in a new tab.

Enjoy the show! I always appreciate corrections to ID's.

Local Stuff:    https://kimssight.zenfolio.com/new_mar-2021

Feeding Frenzy after the Grunion Run:    https://kimssight.zenfolio.com/feeding_frenzy

Woodturner Black and White Study:    https://kimssight.zenfolio.com/woodturner

Double Exposure Study:    https://kimssight.zenfolio.com/double_exposure