Bird Bath

In the early days of the pandemic, when nearly everything was shut down, I made a lot of visits to the local parks.  I sought out birds to hone my newly-acquired wildlife photography skills.  One of my favorites was Fernhill Wetlands, a lovely nature preserve located next to the regional water treatment facility. 

Splish-splash, time for a bath!

One day in May I spotted a robin splashing in a mud puddle.  The little guy was so focused on getting himself clean he didn't notice me and my big lens.

Throwing the water around

So I set the camera on action mode and fired off several frames, capturing the robin's splashy antics.

Blub-blub

Later at home, after downloading the photos, I discovered several that I liked.

Those water droplets are flying!

 These sequences tell a story - and some of the freeze action is hugely entertaining!

Let's get the face

If you're in need of a smile (and who isn't these days?) take a visual stroll through these series of images.  I dare you not to grin.

And underneath the wings

Fluffy red breast

Flap the wings dry

"Here goes my belly flop!"

Every now and then, the robin would hoist himself high, and then flop back into the puddle.

Ker-splash!

I especially love this capture, with all the water droplets suspended in mid-air.

All poofy and clean!

In the end, Mr. Robin finally emerged from the puddle, his feathers fluffed and clean.  Now, time to go find the ladies!