Ringneck Pheasant, Palo Alto, 2016

This hopeful pheasant was observed and photographed at the Baylands Preserve, Palo Alto. Good luck crossing the road.

Let’s end the year with a poem where hope is described as a “thing with feathers”.

HOPE is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;         5
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I ‘ve heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;         10
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
—by Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886), Bartleby.com

Here are some more bird photos taken in Palo Alto.

Malard, America’s duck, Palo Alto

Song Sparrow, Palo Alto

Great Egret, Palo Alto

Pair of Canada Geese, Palo Alto

Brown Pelican, Palo Alto

Ring-neck Pheasant, Palo Alto, 2016

Have a Happy and Hopeful New Year, Carto

Check out the year-end blogs on resilient at WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Resilient.