Every so often, I am granted the privilege of being present for another’s special birding moment. Bird enough, and those moments for yourself become scarcer. You can only see a Loggerhead Shrike or a Cinnamon Teal for the first time once; standout encounters with a Merlin or an Osprey are standouts because they’re infrequent. They can wow you after however long you’ve been birding for, but don’t happen too often.
Beautiful Eastern Bluebird photos, James! I have to say, I can totally relate to this: "I’d opted not to bring my camera. Didn’t want my attentiveness to bird photos render me a less fun birding companion—which I imagine it does. The best encounters also happen when I’m unable to document them."
I went birding once sorta by accident with a bunch of quite hardcore birders (long story) and indeed, I was the only one still excited by brightly colored birds. The rest had long moved on to more rare, sandy-colored ones. The eastern bluebird would still amaze me if I'd see it!
Wonderful photographs; I love Canada geese as I love all birds. The geese are maligned for reasons that speak of a human inability to co-exist with the natural world.
Thank you for this wonderful post, James. I was also impressed by the “best encounters” that Pamela just mentioned here in the comments. That is a point so well taken, to be absorbed in the natural world simply as a part of it. Thank you for sharing this with us. Btw, this morning on my walk, there was a lot of coyote scat along the trail. I took a photo, thinking of you.:)
Beautiful Eastern Bluebird photos, James! I have to say, I can totally relate to this: "I’d opted not to bring my camera. Didn’t want my attentiveness to bird photos render me a less fun birding companion—which I imagine it does. The best encounters also happen when I’m unable to document them."
Well-said James: "It falls upon the birder to create and recognize special moments."
I went birding once sorta by accident with a bunch of quite hardcore birders (long story) and indeed, I was the only one still excited by brightly colored birds. The rest had long moved on to more rare, sandy-colored ones. The eastern bluebird would still amaze me if I'd see it!
Wonderful photographs; I love Canada geese as I love all birds. The geese are maligned for reasons that speak of a human inability to co-exist with the natural world.
Keep on writing ❤️
I'll watch Canada geese. They're interesting, and because they tolerate our proximity, they are easily forgotten, like crows and American robins.
Thank you for this wonderful post, James. I was also impressed by the “best encounters” that Pamela just mentioned here in the comments. That is a point so well taken, to be absorbed in the natural world simply as a part of it. Thank you for sharing this with us. Btw, this morning on my walk, there was a lot of coyote scat along the trail. I took a photo, thinking of you.:)