Take a shot.

I have a show in Palm Springs next week, Palm Springs Modernism, and things are about to get busy. I wasn't feeling really well yesterday and decided to take the afternoon off.

It was either go home and read the latest Wild Cards book, the mosaic novel of George R.R. Martin and Melinda Snodgrass that I found at the library or shoot some birds with my camera.

I opted for the latter. Drove up to a new birding place in Perris off Case Rd. that was supposed to be great. It wasn't. Afterwards I drove a short way up the freeway to my familiar haunts at the reserve.

It was beautiful out, with snowcapped San Gorgonio looking gorgeous in the distance. Road was muddy in spots. I had the place pretty much to myself, which I like.

But the day didn't really fire photographically for me. Odd. Not sure if it was technical, luck or sheer incompetence but I was always a second slow and botched more shots than I can remember. Didn't see a lot either, besides well, coots.

white crowned sparrows

Maybe my worst day there ever. Saw the kite but couldn't pull the trigger, saw no eagles or falcons. Blah. I have written before about intermittent responses being the most powerful, according to behavioral psychologists.  If you win every time, you quickly get bored and things stop being fun. Wasn't my turn. Obviously.

And maybe my standards have changed somewhat, having nailed a fair amount of decent shots over the years. Maybe it is tougher now to get something halfway acceptable? Here is an underbelly shot of a harrier that is pretty cool, seeing as she was very much in shadow:

I did manage to get a very long and muddy walk in with my heavy gear. Wondered how long it would take to find me if I had a cardiac event out there, if they could i.d. the remains before the buzzards and lions made mince meat of the corpus delicti.

You win some and you lose some, I guess. My day to fail.

And have a marvelous time doing so, I might add. Did see a cute little Audubon warbler.