Here in South Dakota it looks like we’ve finally made it to spring! The weather is warming up, the ice is melting, and…the birds have returned! If your yard is anything like ours, there’s probably a bird or two flitting about somewhere. That’s why this week, the challenge is all about creating an image of or about birds.

Now, just grabbing your camera and snapping a quick shot of a bird in the backyard is sometime easier said than done. We have a pair of northern cardinals that’s taken up residence in our yard, but unfortunately, they’re both very camera shy, and every image I’ve come up with so far has ended up looking like this:

Photographing birds can be one of the toughest things you may ever try as a photographer. You may come up with a great big zero ninety-nine times out of a hundred, but it’s that one image you’re going for anyway. So don’t let the near misses and blurred wings stop you from getting out there and trying!