Chris came up this weekend and possibly brought up the stomach virus that put him out of commission a couple of weeks ago in Virginia.  Either way, I had a lovely time staying up sick the majority of last night and needless to say, didn’t get to do any shooting this weekend (that seems like a repeating trend doesn’t it).

Fortunately, Chris was able to make a trip to the Pole Farm today, and upon his arrival, found a Northern Harrier on a kill.  He pulled up to the hawk slowly in his car, parking parallel to the bird in order to photograph it.  As he was getting his camera ready, another visitor at the Pole Farm saw the bird and made a beeline towards it in his Lexus.  Of course this spooked the bird and it took off, leaving Chris empty handed.  The guy then pulled up to where Chris was parked and asked him “Do you know what kind of bird that was?” and acted as if his actions were completely excusable.

This reminds me of my first visit to the Pole Farm, in which my close encounter with a Short-eared Owl in the grass ended in not a single frame thanks to some absent minded individuals walking, talking, and pretty much oblivious to anything going on around them.  When they reached me they asked me “Have you seen any owls?”  I kinda wanted to smack them, but instead replied “Well actually yes, I have.  There was one right in front of me in the grass.”  Some people have some nerve!

Don’t get me wrong.  I love it that there are some people out there who actually appreciate nature and venture to special places like the Pole Farm to see owls and the like.  It just drives me nuts when so called “nature lovers” don’t pay attention to a darn thing that is going on around them and trample rare plants, spook birds that are obviously nesting or feeding, and otherwise act like the wilderness is their own little playground.  Ugh!  Sorry, but I just had to vent a little bit (you can blame it on me being grumpy because I’m sick).