Last week, I purchased a Canon Powershot SX280 HS point-and-shoot digital camera to replace my old PowerShot that I accidentally–like anyone would do it on purpose–super glued shut.  (There’s never a dull moment here.)  I wanted something that was compact and portable yet a little better than my SmartPhone camera.  The SX280 has a 20X zoom, which is what sold me on it. Yesterday, I tested out the zoom from a distance of about twenty feet, (which should make the subject look about a foot away if I understand magnification correctly).

Here are some of the pictures that I took:

Gray Catbird

Male Cardinal

Common Starling

House Finch

While photographing the birds, a squirrelly squirrel vied for my attention.  (Yes, I see you.)

A squirrel hangs by his hind feet from a bird feeder.

He crept a bit closer, peeking out from around a tree trunk…

… before boldly hopping up to within about three feet of me and giving the stink eye.

My conclusion? The Canon PowerShot SX280 HS is a worthy point-and-shoot camera. So excellent, in fact, that nature may beg and taunt you to take its picture.

Photos were taken at Duke Gardens in Durham, NC.