Black-Capped Chickadee on Budding Branch

For a very long time I had tried to photograph a chickadee, but these little birds are some of the fastest and most skittish I’ve ever encountered. Every time I raised my camera outside, they darted away before I could even focus.

This time, I decided to change my approach. I tucked myself quietly behind the window inside my house, hoping they wouldn’t notice me. For a while, it felt like another failed attempt, but then one chickadee landed perfectly on a budding branch, unaware of my presence.

At last, I had my chance. I steadied my camera and finally captured the photo I had been chasing for so long — a moment of stillness from a bird that almost never gives you one.