I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the shy ones. The shy dogs and cats that I see as patients always evoke a tenderness in me. The same is also true for the wildlife that I observe. The eastern towhees (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) in general tend to be shy, quiet birds and that’s especially true for the females. The males will sing, and are more likely to come out of the brush than the females are. I often don’t see these birds at all even when I can hear them, but for every female I see, I see at least 5-6 males. I know there are more females out there since I see fledglings throughout the summer. This little beauty queen is the female I see most often. She lives in the scrubby area behind my house. She will wait for a quiet moment (i.e. no crazy, scuffling cardinals around) and pop out. She will grab a few morsels of food and then she’s gone again. Rarely do I see her more than once, and many days I don’t see her at all. Yet it is exactly because she is so shy that she is always one of my favorite birds to see.