The older I get the more I believe the old adage. “Nothing is certain but death and taxes”. The fact we don’t have to pay taxes until July 15th this year, makes me even wonder about that.
Six weeks ago, I thought I was certain about a lot of things, today I am certain about almost nothing.
Birding has taught me how to be more comfortable with uncertainty. Understanding to take criticism as an opportunity for learning, and trying to get better at it every day.
My chase for the Tri taught me to trust my gut a little bit more. I almost knew when I spotted the little blob in the reeds through my bins, it was the bird. One of my fellow birds felt it too and she investigated. She had seen a few days prior, so I thought she was probably in a position to know better the most. She walked down the road disappeared into the weeds and told me she thought it might be the Tri. I looked through the bins from this closer vantage point. I thought it was.
Then a Snowy Egret soared into the picture.
My fellow birder spotted it right away. It landed close to the mystery bird. That sealed it. We both knew it was the Tri. I’ve gotten better at steadying the big lens and I got reasonable photos – enough to verify that it was the Tri.
The Snowy was a new Big Year bird also. It feels so good to get two in one trip.
Zen birding lesson of the day: You don’t have to be certain, pretty sure is good enough.
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