The unexpected

Here we are well into January and I find myself deep into learning camera and computer programs. Its a slow process for me as I never cared to learn technical stuff when I was younger so now I am finding frustration and fascination to be the mainstay of the day as I attempt to decipher the language in order to interpret the instruction manuals; sheesh, its a lot of brain wrapping thats for sure.

Gerald took me out looking for snowy owls again this past weekend, and once again no luck in finding them but we did spot this bird out in the field behind a snowdrift. Is is a grouse or maybe a pheasant; not sure, so off I go to investigate.

So... here I am knee deep in powder snow, sneaking around the snow blind, I am in a fantastic position for the ultimate best ever fantastic photograph. Bird does not sense me; good. So I switch to manuel focus, after all I want a great shot, when just as I get the camera up to my eye and am focusing in... when wouldn't you know it, a dog and its servant come romping across the field from the opposite way. Damn. Well at least I got an identifiable shot of the birds. They are Gray Partridge which is an introduced species from Europe. I don't know who introduced them, but they sure are pretty. There were a covey of about eight birds. This is my first sighting of Partridge, kinda fitting for this time of year, except we are missing the pear tree. To cold for pears here.