A Magical Moment Shared with a Wagtail

Having your camera close by sometimes pays off. I am not always with my camera, and I don’t always like to travel with it. Various opportunities are lost, moments never captured. But when I have my camera with me, these opportunities are captured and I can have this privileged opportunity to think about.

We sat down for lunch when a small Cape Wagtail decided to join us. It was tame and it could not be bothered by our human presence. It flew and sat perched on the wall next to our table. It sang its joyful song, wagging its tail all the while. I slowly moved and grabbed my camera that was lying between my feet.

The small little bird did not make much of my presence and I slowly got the camera in place. As soon as I saw the opportunity I released the shutter. Luckily the loud clicking also did not bother our little friend. It merely continued its song and I continued to hold the shutter button.

After a while, it walked away towards other tables delighting others with its beautiful song. Only afterwards when I looked through the photographs, I saw the little dropping the wagtail bird made and because I pressed down on the shutter I caught the bird pooping in all of its glory! What a strange and funny moment.

Life is made up of a mosaic of different moment; beautifully and intricately placed to make the most awesome painting. This moment, in which a bird sat so close by singing its song, is yet another fleeting experience and a reminder that we are privileged to these experiences.

We should slow down, and breathe in these moments.

I hope your life will be filled with beautiful and fleeting moments.

For now, happy photographing.

All of the photographs are my own, taken with my Nikon D300 and Tamron 300mm zoom lens. The musings and writings are also my own, albeit inspired by nature’s beauty.