It pays to shoot, even when in doubt

Morning broke foggy in my part of the world. A couple of days of heavy rain left us soggy and humid conditions. I dodged puddles as I headed up the central trail at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm this morning and spotted an American goldfinch ahead of me.

It was poking in the wet dirt for I’m not sure what. Having photographed many a goldfinch, for a moment I thought, why bother? But then I raised my camera and trained it on the bird. As I pressed the shutter, it flew off to my right.

I didn’t bother to check the image until I got home, and I was surprised to find I caught the bird with wings outstretched. I’m glad I decided to shoot, and I was surprised with an unusual perspective on a familiar bird that I see almost daily in my yard. 🦅