Photo Quest(s)

It has been a personal quest of mine to capture some of the birds of prey in my area. You know, like an eagle, or a turkey vulture, or a hawk. It never ceases to amaze me how oblivious these animals seem to be. They can be sitting on the side of the road, watching dozens of cars drive by, but the moment you turn around and try to photograph them, they fly away.

see what I mean?

Regardless, I love these photo quests I go on. My daughter usually passes out in the car  gently falls asleep, giving mommy some much needed alone time. And if she doesn’t, it gives us a chance to go out and explore our surroundings. Whether it is…

the geese gathering in the fields, the black birds swarming around us like schools of fish, or collecting rocks on the side of the road (her favorite).

Our time, on Sunday, was not in complete vain. I was completely taken by surprise when this Great Blue Heron decided to land twenty feet in front of my car. I fumbled with my lens, almost landed in the ditch, and got a few fuzzy shots of him flying away. Luckily, he didn’t fly very far. And so I crept, very slowly, to get this:

Not the prey animal I had in mind, but definitely a very satisfying experience nonetheless.

via Photo Challenge: Quest