Paying Attention

I’m pleasantly surprised how my recent interest in birds has enriched my life, though I suspect it’s the increased awareness promoted by birding that’s the real source of this new power.

As noted yesterday, I’ve visited Seal Rock repeatedly in my life. But it wasn’t until this visit that I really stopped and looked at the top of the rock.

Seal Rock

When I did, I realized it was ringed with birds, and not just seagulls.

Pelicans and Gulls Galore

Most of the birds were pelicans, a bird I’ve seldom seen while visiting the coast (probably because I haven’t been looking in the past, so it seems).

Once I realized that there were pelicans on the top, it wasn’t long before I got some nice shots of them floating down off the top.

Pelican

Leslie pointed out that birds seemed to be trying to land on the sides of the rock, and I took a picture of the cormorant on top trying to land. It wasn’t until I brought the shot up on my computer that I noticed the other three cormorants!

Cormorants On Cliff

4 thoughts on “Paying Attention”

  1. Interesting you didn’t notice the other three cormorants – when one is focussing on one thing then it is easy to miss another. When it happens to me it is usually a power cable or a washing line I have missed. I think the three birds enhance th photograph anyway.

  2. I think they enhance the photo, too, pat, or I would have cropped them out ;-).

    Most of all, the fact that they were there and I didn’t see them would suggest just how much farther I have to go to be truly “aware.”

  3. Reminds me a bit of spotting for wildlife on the Yukon hillsides or for berries in the bushes. Taking the time to really see what I am looking at usually brings many treasures into focus.

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