Have You Gotten Close?

Years before I identified this bird, I heard them sing, and saw them bob in flight as they sang.

They seemed elusive, like a little secret I couldn’t uncover. Always fleeing from better view. Never landing close enough to get a peek.

Their song was challenging to mimic, making it hard to search for them online. (And bird song identification apps weren’t popular then.)

Not having binoculars handy each time they appeared, made color or shape determination impractical due to the distance they kept.

I stayed curious about them though.

They came each summer.

Learning what I could, being patient, and persevering helped put the pieces together.

These days I get much closer to the goldfinch (with a camera that gets even closer) and they’re a fun favorite of mine to observe

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What animal or human would you like to get closer to, and what’s your approach?