A Rookie Mistake
One of the best places for catching migrants in Chicagoland is Montrose Point. As I’ve mentioned previously, this green area on the edge of Lake Michigan is a good stopping point for birds migrating south in the fall. I was excited to get down there last week.
Traffic was terrible (we should have left at 6 AM) but it was a beautiful morning when we finally arrived there. Here are some of pictures of the warblers there:
There is nothing wrong with your screen! Upon arrival I hopped out of the car and reached in the back and grabbed my camera and noticed the little flap covering the SIMM card was open. I uttered a short word starting with an “F” – I had left the SIMM card in my computer at home (the SIMM card holds all the pictures). What a rookie mistake! I have forgotten to charge my battery before but I’ve never forgotten to bring a SIMM card. I just left the camera in the car and walked away muttering to myself.
There was a small silver lining. I spent more time observing the birds through my binoculars than I normally would. With the camera I see the birds through the viewfinder in order to take pictures of them, but I don’t really observe them. Without the camera I was able to carefully note the differences between the Bay-breasted Warbler and the Blackpoll Warbler. I watched the movements of the Ruby-crowned Kinglets going through the trees. I felt closer to the birds without the camera.
Did I still wish I had my camera? You bet! However I realized that being behind the viewfinder all the time prevents me from really seeing the birds. From now on I’m still taking my camera out with me but I’m also going to put it down sometimes and take some time through the binoculars to appreciate the birds around me. And I’m putting a spare SIMM card in the glovebox!
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People always ask me to take more pictures. My response has always been that if I want a great picture of something or place, I’ll look in National Geographic, or now the internet. I prefer to enjoy the moment. That being said I thoroughly appreciate the photographs on this site as many are worthy of National Geographic!