It came down to my final 100 days at Bishop Hendricken High School after serving as the school’s CFO for 25 years.

I was finally at ease with my decision and impending retirement. I am 71 and I had already put off retiring for six years, but now the time was right. It was time for me to spend my days with my wife, Dolores, not other people’s kids.

But before the countdown got into the 90s, it was over. School was closed because of the coronavirus. Sure, I would be working until June 30, but without the kids it would not be the same.

I was the grandfather in the corridors. I could stir the boys up, walk away, and was the teachers who had to calm them back down.

So now I’m working from home, I’ve lost contact with the kids, the faculty and the staff. The spring was such hope. Great weather, a warm walk out of the building to watch a game, a practice and all with my camera in hand. You see, for the past three to four years I took many of the school’s athletic and arts photos. There was no better way to meet the “selfie” generation than taking their photos while they were competing and performing.

A hundred days left and all athletic contests and drama, choral, and musical performances were canceled.

Now I’m at home, working in my office, but what to do during those times to take a break and walk the halls during class changes?

That’s when I decided to visit the Johnston Ocean State Job Lot and buy a bird feeder, a pole to mount the feeder and 25 pounds of sunflower seed.

If I couldn’t do games, how about bird activity? Sounded challenging enough. Trying to get a small bird in flight completely in focus sounded challenging.

I did have to wait a couple of days until word got around that there was a new eating establishment in Johnston, and they specialized in sunflower seeds.

After a couple of days, flying visitors started coming in. Most activity was early morning and mid-afternoon. Lunchtime produced “crickets” – no activity, no sounds.

To help influence visits, I stuck in the ground a large branch that had fallen off one of my trees during the winter. Sticking it in the ground upright was supposed to give them an interim stop before the feeder. I had learned about putting a natural looking object near the feeder from YouTube.

Before you knew, the feeder was a source of great activity. The different variations and colors of birds were amazing. Woodpeckers, sparrows, cardinals, blue jays, finches, mockingbirds and many other variations were daily visitors.

Sitting in my chair with my Nikon camera and a large 200-500mm lens poised me for the capture. The lens is so long that being 40-50 feet away will get some unbelievable close-ups without scaring the birds away.

I quickly learned the tendencies of each species. The smaller birds and the large, intimidating grackles eat off the perch on the feeder, while other birds will pick the dropping from the feeder off the ground. Maybe it’s safer there than exposed to danger on the perch. The ground crew will normally include cardinals, morning doves and a few medium sized varieties.

I truly look forward to the “wins” every day around the feeder. I am now no longer satisfied getting a bird eating off the ground or on the perch, now my challenge is getting them in flight and in focus. It’s a lot like trying to get a great shot on the tennis court, a pole vaulter clearing the bar or a stolen base attempt in baseball.

I have since bought a second feeder setup from Job Lot, and depending where the sun is situated, I get great, well-lit bird photos. And by the way, there are occasional visits from squirrels and chipmunks to add some variety to my day.

If you are like me, acting like a caged animal during these extraordinary times, grab a camera or a cell phone and try to get the best shots possible of our winged friends. They often pose and never say don’t take my photo. And the colors and personalities will stay with you a lifetime. Try birding!