About three weeks ago, I tried to photograph some Cooper's hawks that had been flying over the house. They had a nest close by, and I took a number of walks with my camera in hopes of getting a good picture.
However, the birds were flighty, and I couldn't get any decent photos. Once, when I was walking without my camera of course, I got a pretty good look at one. At that moment, I decided to end my quest for a photo. (Obviously, the birds were playing with me and didn't really want their pictures taken. Plus, I didn't want to disturb them while they were nesting.)
Putting a stop to my pursuit irritated me a little bit because it meant not achieving my goal, and I really don't like failure.
Today, all that effort and agitation turned silly when one of the fledgling hawks flew by my window twice and landed on the rail outside. Although I had to take the pictures through the glass, I got some pretty satisfactory shots (in fact, some of the most detailed I have of any bird).
The encounter reminded me that when interacting with the other parts of the environment, I can't always have it my way, but it also hinted at how nature likes a little patience.
After having my own Cooper's hawk experience this summer, I was drawn to this article from All About Birds.
