They could have been helping themselves from the bird feeder since first light but somehow the sparrows seem to prefer to wait until we’ve carried our breakfast out to the garden table before bustling in to join us.

 

 

There’s room for two at the feeder and this family group now numbers ten so there’s a continual fluttering and chirruping as the birds jostle for space or drop down to pick up the spilled grains from the ground.

 

 

As you can see, I’m not a wildlife photographer.  Quite apart from having lenses more adapted to close ups on wildflowers (with the occasional slow-moving beetle), I’m not patient enough to wait for the perfect bird shot and too easily distracted.  I focus carefully on the place where a bird is likely to land but can’t ignore the bird that lands momentarily on another branch, taking to the air again before I’ve had time to refocus.

 

 

So these photos aren’t portraits of sparrows.  They are an attempt to show the flurry of wings as the morning sun filters through the leaves of the cherry tree and the sparrows arrive for breakfast.  That’s my excuse!

This post was prompted by the Weekly Photo Challenge Morning