Mental Image

After six or seven years of almost daily use my 150-600mm camera lens has finally started having some annoying hiccups, and while it languishes in the shop awaiting an estimate, I've been slowly adjusting to not having the ability to photograph wildlife. It actually hasn't been as frustrating as I thought it would be, although I'm definitely not taking any longish trips to attempt seeing any "lifers" because one of my underlying goals is to photograph every bird I've reported on eBird. Hard to do with an iPhone or small lens. Sorry Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, I won't be visiting you this week.  

At work, I've had a couple of nice non-camera-oriented moments with a female Pileated Woodpecker. The first and best one was when I'd taken a hike before the night hike to assess a fallen tangle of poison oak vines. Enjoying the evening light on the way back to camp, I heard some loud taps coming from a nearby tree, and after a few minutes found the woodpecker pecking and using her long woodpecker tongue to reel in insects like some sort of avian angler. The male occasionally called in the distance, and each time she cocked her head to listen before returning to her task. If I had had my camera, I would have been focused on trying to get a decent shot. I probably would have failed too, since although I could see her well though my binoculars, a good look doesn't always (or even often) translate to a good photo. This moment was definitely better as a memory than an image.