The farm birds, Anthony

Let me admit something right away: this photograph of blackbirds, most of them Starlings, was captured in a manner entirely inconsistent with the stated aims of this blog. To be sure, I shot the picture while I was standing on my own two feet, but I arrived at the image-taking area not as a result of a hiking foray; rather, I got to this particular hay wagon in the course of driving to the supermarket. So, to readers who have come to expect a photo of the natural world obtained, well, naturally, my apologies. Those offered, I'm guessing this one's better than a blank spot in the Chronicle, and it does record the daily gathering of our version of The Birds. These are not, to be sure, Hitchcockian: filled with malice and ready, at a moment's notice, to launch themselves at the photographer. In fact, almost as soon as I raised my camera, the blackbirds fled. So much for drama.