I Wish I Had

 I'd already decided on the title of this blog before I read Seagull Steve's comment on the Ivory Gull post, below, him wishing he had gotten there in time. . . and I so sympathize, like I wish I had been able to get to Cape May yesterday to see Sam Galick's Bell's Vireo at Higbee, not to mention the continuing Painted Bunting.

And I wish I had followed my photography mantra, LUCK FAVORS THE PREPARED, when the bittern sprang up right in front of me and the "flight shot" pre-set I always maintain on my camera, and in theory keep constantly updated, was about 2 stops too dark. Not to mention, I wish I had been little quicker on the draw.

I wish had been quick enough to capture this lovely Cooper's Hawk when it bolted over the cattails for a crazed tailchase of what I think was a Marsh Wren. Notice the big white spots on the upperparts of Coop - on average, more prominent than on Sharp-shinned, one of the 16 ways to tell the two apart.

I wish I could spend a little of each winter afternoon listening to Tundra Swans, and watching them lit by the setting sun. I wish I had a video camera that enchanting November afternoon at Forsythe many years ago, when Tundra Swans rained from the blue sky, turning from white shimmers to snow flakes to swans as they settled into the pool, 700 birds strong arrived from the north.

All these shots, by the way, are from a rare time at Forsythe NWR when I wasn't working, and wasn't in too much of a hurry to be doing something else. 

I wish I had a longer lens, or better, more skill getting close to wildlife. Like these White-tailed Deer way way out on the salt marsh.

I wish I had the ability to make all people know the value of these wild things and wild places.

I wish I had more time. Everyone wishes that. More time to hunt (and a place less than 3 hours from Cape May to do it), more time to bird, more time to be at more dinner parties with more friends. I wish you had more time, too.