Off Isolation and Back to Birding (sorta)

It has been a really long time, I know! I can't even use my coming down with COVID-19 as an excuse because I was barely sick for two weeks...and that was already a month ago. I started to write this post two weeks ago, left it as a draft to finish, and forgot about it until this morning when @kommienezuspadt reminded me to get back on here.

So let's see, it has been a little over two weeks since my MD-ordered isolation officially ended (although my roommate is still very weary of being around me). For the most part isolation was a breeze - I got to stay in my room and play Animal Crossing, watch tv shows and movies, and anything I needed my sister was happy to bring over and leave on my doorstep. I was also able to go onto our patio an do a little gardening and balcony birding because our roommate doesn't use that space.

*favorite balcony bird, the chestnut-backed chickadee*

I also used the isolation as an excuse to dip into some of the money I have saved from modeling to make purchases from artists and small businesses that I have admired for a while, but put off because I felt like I couldn't justify spending the money. After seeing the impact that the pandemic has had on artists and small businesses, I was more than willing to finally make the larger purchases I had previously been hesitant about. That will be a separate post.

However, one of the big purchases I made on isolation was purely selfish and unnecessary...

After years and years of using second-hand cameras given to me by my mom, I finally bought one with my very own money! Still second-hand, but it feels really nice to have a camera I bought myself (and that has over 10 MP...). What feels even better is the fact that I paid for almost half of it with money made from selling plushies and other random stuff (comics, books, wigs...) on Mercari.

The camera arrived a few days before my isolation was up, so I got a little antsy at the end. I was dying to try the camera with the (also second-hand) lens I got back in January. It was worth the wait (both for the camera and for birding in general!).

*the hooded orioles are back in our area and were easy to find at the park I decided to test my camera at*

*the Bullock's orioles are back too, and just as easy to locate by their loud chatter*

I even caught a glimpse of a new bird, a rufous hummingbird!

*my first day off isolation was a great birding day!*

Unfortunately, I had to wait over a week to use my camera again because jumping back into work (along with other time-consuming commitments) really tired me out and had me just resting during any free time. But, I made it out to our city's natural area and did a little more birding and picture-taking earlier last week:

*male song sparrows are singing up a storm all along the levees*

I think they're neat looking sparrows with their black streaking*

*handsome scrub jay*

*and of course, I have to share my favorite little chickadee*

*totally posing*

I hope to get out birding some more in the coming weeks, because it is a great stress-reliever and distraction from work, school, and some of the other commitments that have been taking up a lot more time than I anticipated. I hope to be able to post more here, too. That's it for now, though!