Throughout our current California journey, I loved some glorious birding. I additionally developed my newest manifestation of a collection of pores and skin infections that I’ve skilled over the previous 12 months, this one worse than all its predecessors. (Not a sugar drawback, in case anybody considered that; my fasting sugar ranges are completely wholesome.) Consider me, Staphylococcus aurea isn’t the sort of species I might select to write down about on 10,000 Birds. However right here I’m, packed stuffed with a number of antibiotics, conserving my leg up as a lot as doable, wishing I had been as soon as once more traipsing the hills of Michoacán.
An American White Pelican with its touchdown gear down
A uncommon upside to this case is that it has allowed me to do some lengthy overdue work on a byproduct of my birding obsession. Like many modern-day photographic birders, I’ve constructed up an enormous backlog of pictures on my long-suffering laptop computer. I wish to return and eradicate my 1000’s of previous pictures, I actually do. However every week a brand new batch of pictures clamor for my consideration. That’s, till a gap in my leg retains me from taking any new pictures for a few weeks.
Townsend’s Warbler
Black-vented Oriole
On any outing I could take a whole bunch, even 1000’s, of digital pictures. I’m fairly good at making the most of my preliminary pleasure to maneuver the very best 100 or so right into a second file. I additionally often get the very best ones onto 10,000 birds, and an important ones (for proving sightings, and so on.) onto my eBird report. Typically I even get round to eliminating the unique giant file, as soon as I’m certain I gained’t want any of these pictures. Area issues with my laptop computer encourage me.
Clark’s Grebe, again when Michoacán’s lakes nonetheless had water
The all the time beautiful Elegant Euphonia
The place I actually fall behind is on my final step, which is to undergo some long-past day’s remaining pictures, put 3 or 4 on my screensaver rotation, save any with uncommon scientific benefit elsewhere, after which eradicate all the file for that day. How far behind have I fallen? Effectively, throughout my convalescence I’ve managed to eradicate some 1,500 or extra pictures — simply from December 2021, and January-February 2022. The disgrace! The occupied reminiscence!
A male Flame-colored Tanager
One in every of solely a handful of pictures of Nice Horned Owls that I’ve ever taken
Together with the satisfaction of clearing out a few of this occupied reminiscence, I’ve additionally loved discovering simply what number of very nice pictures I used to be reaching by that time-frame. Actually, together with including a pair dozen pictures to my rotating “Finest Birds” file, I’m additionally making an attempt to eradicate many older pictures from that very same file. These older pictures simply can’t maintain as much as my more moderen ones.
male Hooded Oriole
An Iguana, making the most of a gap undoubtedly made by a Golden-cheeked Woodpecker
I’ve been photographing birds now for about 10 years, with out taking any lessons or receiving any coaching. Those I’m interspersing with this narrative are from these first two months of 2022, about 8 years into this journey. Some are extra creative, whereas others simply symbolize their species unusually effectively, at the very least so far as my portfolio is anxious. (I must also word that many, if not most, have most likely already appeared in 10,000 Birds in posts from these dates.)
Two male Lazuli Buntings
A Nutting’s Flycatcher, with lunch
Luca lately wrote right here in regards to the birder/hen photographer dichotomy. I’m one other one who loves photographing birds, with none actual creative pretensions or aspirations. However I have to say, it’s actually good to have the ability to have pictures to get pleasure from, when one is quickly unable to get out and see the precise feathered beauties.
An unusually mild morph Crimson-tailed Hawk
Savannah Sparrow
And whereas I do hope to quickly take some new pictures to share with you all, I hope these pictures, from early 2022, will do — whereas I nonetheless have a leg up.
Wilson’s Snipe, with a Western or Least Sandpiper