How am I to identify this bird if it does not stay at least a minute for me to get a good look at it? I am so impressed with fellow birders who look in the sky at a bird flying overhead, often simply seeing their silhouette, and can identify the bird. Truth be told, I cannot dismiss their identification because I have no idea what the bird is! No doubt, they are correct … and then onto the next bird …

A bird pops from behind a branch. This bird is new to me so I really want to photograph it … and I must do so quickly! I capture its eye ring in a photo; that will be a helpful clue when identifying the bird. Then I notice how it sits on the tree branch… its body shape, color of feathers, so many helpful clues … and then it is flying off! Do I have enough information to identify this bird?

Yes, I was in a good location to photograph it, plus with enough seconds for me to capture photos and clues for identification … thank goodness! This new bird for my life list is a plumbeous vireo! I love adding life list birds with a photo; then I know for sure I have seen and identified the bird correctly.

It was a fast minute; thanks for hanging around!