I’ve been at a bit of a loss for words lately. It’s been months since I’ve been able to sit down and write consistently. The frustration finally got the better of me, so I resolved to pick a recent photo and simply write about it. My hope is that by doing so, I can get over whatever has been ruining my focus.
My wife and I crossed the footbridge at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve this week. It turned out to be a productive outing. We identified 30 species in just 1 hour and 44 minutes. Along the way, we noticed a dozen or more Snowy Egrets actively feeding and constantly moving in search of their next meal.
The bird pictured in this post flew up to the footbridge railing just moments after my wife walked past. I took a few photos simply because it was so close. My preference is to photograph these beautiful birds against a dark background so their brilliant white plumage really stands out, but I’ll gladly take a close-up any day.
This particular egret was fearless. Of course, it had a mission. It treats the footbridge like a public restroom. I’ve watched this behavior several times over the years. Fly up. Land. Poop. This bird followed the same routine, and I happened to capture the entire sequence completely by accident.
I normally shoot at 10 frames per second. Once I’m confident I’ve nailed focus, I hold the shutter down and capture a short burst of images, then sort through them later. I usually keep only one or two photographs from each burst.
For those interested, the settings were 1/640 second at f/7.1 with an ISO of 200. I was using my Nikon Z8 paired with the NIKKOR Z 180-600mm lens.
The camera captured every detail of the egret’s… accomplishment… in perfect clarity, along with the stretch that followed. I kept the stretch and deleted the rest. Most people aren’t particularly interested in photographs of birds pooping.
The weather was mostly cloudy, 71°F, with visibility around 15 kilometers and humidity at 85 percent. The air felt heavy, though a slight breeze made it comfortable. By the time we left, the temperature had climbed to 76°F. It was still pleasant, especially compared to the 92°F waiting for us back home.
As it turns out, this was easier than I expected.
Maybe I don’t have writer’s block after all.
Maybe I just need to sit down and write more often.
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