(Editor’s Note: The Spirit staff is dedicated to providing our readers with relevant and interesting news — both virus-related and not. This regular feature by Spirit Editor Zak Lantz will be a reflective piece that includes a photo or two that he’s taken while practicing social distancing by wandering around with his camera. We hope you enjoy.)
Remember these guys (and girls)? Last week, I shared with you a photo of a flicker posted up in a tree quite a long way from my window. I was lucky that day to get a clear shot from such a long distance, but earlier this week, these fancy-looking birds made another appearance in the yard, and this time, they did so right in front of a window through which they apparently could not see me, giving me a chance to watch them for some 20 minutes or so. In the left photo, the one bird is carrying out what I can only assume is an attempt to impress the lady birds (I do not know if this was a mating dance, but it’s the best guess I could make), and in the right photo, he and the remaining bird are watching the results in live time — as the bird he seemed to be trying to impress flew away in a hurry. This fun look into their interaction brought me a lot of joy that day and served as a good reminder that there’s plenty to be joyful about, even in trying times.