Bashful Cardinal

I had a difficult time yesterday getting a decent image of the Northern cardinal pictured on your left. The garrulous bird seemed to taunt me as I wandered around my grandparents' property up in Michigan, and no matter where I moved, the cardinal repositioned himself away from the lens.

Perhaps the semi-rural nature of the property means that the local birds are a bit skittish, or perhaps there was something suspicious in my bearing that heightened the bird's anxiety. At any rate, this cardinal refused to cooperate, and I eventually returned to taking pictures of low-flying aircraft as they approached Detroit Metro Airport.

Left: A different sort of bird

As a kid I used to stand in the backyard of my grandparents' house and watch the incoming planes roar overhead. As an adult, well, I do the same thing. And no: I did not use a laser-guided camera sight in snapping airplane pictures, as I prefer my own bed to a government-issued prison cot.