Lens-Artists Challenge #402: Looking Back at #1 – Wonder
Most mornings, I meditate on the deck facing the pond behind our house. It’s become a quiet anchor to the day — the water, the light shifting through the trees, whatever life happens to show up. Some mornings bring one or two visitors. A couple of weeks ago, though, Mother Nature’s wonder overwhelmed me. When Sofia decided to revisit the very first Lens-Artists Challenge, I knew these photos would be my best answer. You can see Sofia’s post here.
In just about one hour, the pond transformed into something I can only describe as a small, vibrant preserve. Species after species arrived, settled in, and went about their business — each respecting the others’ space in that unspoken way wildlife tends to do – we humans still haven’t learned that lesson. There was the familiar Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) foraging in the grass, and the Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) keeping watch from a bare branch.
A Green Heron (Butorides virescens) worked the water’s edge with its usual patience, and a Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) surveyed the scene from a perch on a fallen limb. A Yellow-Crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) appeared through the reeds like a rumor, almost too still to notice.
And then there were the newcomers: a pair of Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks (Dendrocygna autumnalis), standing side by side on a log over the water — a first for this pond. Even my neighbor stepped outside to see what all the quiet fuss was about.
I photographed as much as I could without disturbing any of them. An hour felt like both a long time and not nearly enough. Having the great outdoors at my doorstep, with plenty of greenery and wildlife, was a wonder I will not soon forget.
Although I was not able to follow every response because of my travel schedule, Patti’s Focus on the Subject challenge was a hit. I hope you will join Sofia’s challenge, too. Please don’t forget to use the “lens-artists” hashtag in your posts to help people find your wonderful challenge entries.
Next week, John will feature a new challenge. It will go live at noon EST in the USA. Tune in to find out more about the challenge then. Please see this page for more information about the Lens-Artists Challenge and its history. If you don’t want to miss any future challenges, please consider subscribing to the team members’ websites. Here they are:
- Tina of Travels and Trifles.
- Patti of P.A. Moed.
- Ann-Christine of Leya.
- John of Journeys with Johnbo.
- Anne of Slow Shutter Speed.
- Sofia of Photographias.
- Egídio of Through Brazilian Eyes.
- Ritva of Ritva Sillanmäki Photography.
- Beth of Wandering Dawgs.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring Black-Bellied Whistling Duck, Eastern Phoebe, Green Heron, Lens-Artists, Northern Cardinal, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Sunday Stills, Teravista, Texas, Wildlife, and Yellow-Crowned Night Heron. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
Posted for Terri’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge: Exploring (EVER)GREEN and Wonder In the Great Outdoors.
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Terri Webster Schrandt
Wonderful, indeed, Egidio! What a beautiful place to meditate and take in nature. I love all the soothing green. Nothing like a peaceful backyard. 💚
Toonsarah
How amazing to see so many wonders on your doorstep! I love the herons but I think the Eastern Phoebe with that pretty pale green sheen is my favourite 🙂
Sofia Alves
How lucky, Egídio! An experience you surely treasure for a long time and one definitely full of wonder. Thank you so much for joining in and safe travels.
shoreacres
The Eastern Phoebe is a bird I’m unfamiliar with; its greenish feathers are intriguing, and beautiful. My own Northern Cardinal pair are being followed around now by their newly-fledged babies; the kids always seem to be hungry, and let their parents know.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the feedback. I wish we had baby Northern Cardinals around. I only see the parents.
Steve Schwartzman
Your pictures confirm once again how fortunate you are to live adjacent to that pond.
Egidio Leitao
You can say that again, my friend. Thanks for the feedback.
Anne Sandler
What a beautiful post Egidio, and to have it in your backyard is a plus. Sometimes I will see herons and egrets in our community pond, but that’s rare. Wonderful photography.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Anne. It was one of my lucky days.