After yesterday’s “run” and no quality photos taken, I was eager to return to the woods on Tuesday morning to lumber with my camera.
I have to say, Ma Nature really came through for me and presented me with multiple photo opportunities that I promptly missed, either due to photographer error or lack of a clear shot. Girl was lobbing me big ol’ softballs, and I was whiffing at every chance!
Look at this bullshit! DOH!!
Here’s a list of what I missed:
ONE: A great blue heron was standing in the misty river just to my left as I crossed the bridge. Sadly, I was looking to my right, and by the time I saw it and raised my camera, it flew off. Fail.
TWO: I continued on my way and was now on the Covered Bridge trail. In a dead tree amongst the reeds was a red-bellied woodpecker doing its thing. But it was too far away, and the foggy morning was not letting my autofocus engage quick enough. It, too, then flew off.
THREE: After a small two-track climb, I descended down onto a grassy trail that buts up against some private property and has a narrow dirt road visible as you pass near the fence. As I passed, I saw a coyote confidently trotting down the road before quickly ducking into the brush and woods. Another missed shot.
FOUR: During my third mile, I was skirting along River Trail and knew there were some tall, dead trees on the other side of the river that I’d seen eagles and hawks perched on in the past. I had my camera ready just in case, and just as I was about to come into some open space through the leafy branches, I saw a large bird in the trees take off from the trees. I couldn’t see its head, but given its size, I’m thinking eagle. Fail #4.
At this point, I was becoming pretty discouraged and decided to just keep on lumbering, and if I see something, I see something.
As I lumbered along, I also took the time to try to reframe these failures. Something I find myself doing more and more these days in lieu of getting down on myself. And if you know me, which I think at least a few of you do, you know positivity has not always been easy for me, but I continue to work on it so as to become a better person.
It didn’t take long, but I soon realized that had I not had my camera with me, I still would have enjoyed these wildlife sighting immensely.
It was awesome to see the great blue heron take off into the fog just to my left.
I love red-bellied woodpeckers, and every time I see one pecking around in the trees is always awesome.
It was crazy to see the coyote trotting along as big as you please, especially since I’ve only ever seen a few live ones in my life. It’s both frightening and exhilarating.
I love capturing, or at least trying to, images of hawks and eagles. It’s not easy, and when you get one, it’s special. While I didn’t get an image today, my experience in hiking these trails showed, and as the leaves fall and space opens up, I will continue to be ready when I pass on that section of the trail.
I continued on with my lumber and was soon entering my fourth mile. As I passed one of three different climbs up to Goshawk Trail, I saw a spike buck to my right. I stopped, watched, gently raised my camera, and got a few shots. The deer looked at me, looked at the woods behind him, and then took off. It took me 4 miles, but I finally got a shot I liked.
As I neared my 5th mile, I passed another lumberist coming in the opposite direction. With that, I knew that the chances of seeing wildlife anytime soon would be slim, so I recalibrated and reframed my expectations again.
What you really are is a Lumberist. I was quite right in saying you were a Lumberist. You are one of the most advanced Lumberists I know.
— Algernon Moncrieff (not really, not at all)
One creature that I have never got a shot of and have never actually seen live in person is a salamander. So, I thought back to some posts by my friends at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy and what they said about finding them; cool weather, near pooled water, under logs, etc.
Wildwood Pathway has some vernal pools and swampy areas along it during the spring, so I took my chance and flipped over a small decaying log along the trail.
Well, what do you know, a salamander!
Actually, there are more (as well as some other crawly critters), but only one is fully visible in the shot. I took a couple shots, then I picked it up and let it scurry around in my palm for a bit before putting it down and moving on to finish my lumber.
I was shocked at how tiny it was, maybe 2″ tops, and after I got home and edited the photo, I did some Googling, I’ve come to think it’s a Red-Backed Salamander. I will correct if I am wrong.
I have flipped many a log in recent months in pursuit of a salamander to photograph and saw nothing. But, just as with my pursuit of an owl photo over the summer, sometimes you just have to keep looking.
I’m sure glad I took those few moments during the lumber to reframe my luck. Had I not, I probably would have just clipped my camera back on my pack, finished the lumber, and bitched about bad luck. Look at me, out there making my own luck again.
I ended the lumber with 6.08 miles and some good wildlife memories.
Later.