Eastern Royalty

See? I told you we'd come back to the eastern kingbird. And here you thought I was getting ready for a nativity scene really early!

I have been watching these aerial acrobats all summer long. They can turn on a dime in mid-flight to snag an escaping bug.

I've seen them fan out their tails and suddenly stop and seem to hover before darting after their prey again. 

They sit in the tops of trees or bushes, waiting for hapless insects to fly by and they are lightning quick, very determined in their pursuit and beautiful to behold in the process. Of course, I haven't been fast enough to catch them in flight (except a wing or a tail in an otherwise sky blue background). If you ever have a chance to watch them in action, take the time to do it - it's worth every minute.