08/02/2026
Yard Work Buddy
The other day I was splitting and stacking firewood. As usual, a few of the logs were home to ants and other insects. Their tiny protests began as their homes were split apart and tossed to the ground.
A curious and hungry Gray Catbird quickly took notice. As I worked, I was surprised by how close the bird stayed to the action. (I later learned that catbirds are generally quite tolerant of people.)
At first, I snapped a few photos with my phone, but soon decided to grab my DSLR and see if I could get some better shots. "Carl" the Catbird proved to be a very cooperative model, posing frequently with a mouthful of ants, eggs, and even the occasional slug!
Photographing this unexpected visitor added a little extra enjoyment to the job of putting away firewood for the winter for Betsy ( ) and me.
