Last Saturday I photographed this red bird in City Park.

I thought for sure it was a cardinal. When I got home and looked at the photos on my computer, I noticed it had a different beak. It appears to be a summer tanager, related to cardinals.

This is a cardinal I photographed in City Park last July.

Saturday I also photographed this flying egret. I have been photographing flying egrets for over a year from my backyard, but I have never been satisfied with the detail I get. They are just too high in the sky for my 300 mm lens, and they are just passing through on their way somewhere else. They really settle at City Park. They were flying closer, and I was able to get the detail of the lovely, patterned wings of this egret.

There is something about the environment of the park that makes photos appear richer, although I also get good photos in backyards and neural grounds. Photographing birds is enjoyable because of the whole experience of discovering them, seeing their beauty, and capturing a photo.