31 Oct Small Victories | Oct. 2025

Small Victories from October

Olive-backed Pipit, a Very Rare Bird in California

These small victories remind us to keep going.

🌲 The Bird Who Moved Too Much

Olive-backed Pipit

The Olive-backed Pipit refuses to pose for a photo.

Yes, I offered suggestions. But the bird ignored them.

It kept walking back and forth, bobbing its tail, pecking for food, walking back and forth.

When I asked it to stop for a photo, it said, “This is my job.” And then it kept going, walking back and forth.

Then to make photography more challenging, it works in the dark shade under trees.

That results in low shutter speeds, which results in blurry photos. Like 99% of them.

This past week I visited five times, collecting 3,447 photos. Here are two good ones.

Lesson: Sometimes we overwhelm challenges with effort.

🌲 What If?

Common Green Darner

If you have been to a pond, you might have seen dragonflies darting about over the water. They’re busy catching mosquitoes and other small insects.

One day, I wondered, “What if it’s possible to catch one in a photo?”

So I tried.

And after about 15 minutes, one flew across the viewfinder. Click.

Now we have a photo of a dragonfly in the air.

Lesson: Success often begins by asking “What If.”

🌲 Good Failure

Orange Sulphur

Normally, I’d discard a photo like the one above.

But this photo was valuable.

Because it shows this is an Orange Sulphur, female.

By the way, below is the view most people will see of an Orange Sulphur.

Orange Sulphur

Lesson: Some failures prove useful.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Find More at:

Listen to Nature

What Do You Hear

Shudder at These Spooky Birds

Did You Know?

The most effective way to help birds is to buy land.

Here are three organizations that excel at doing this.

1) American Bird Conservancy

2) The Nature Conservancy

3) The Trust for Public Land

Please visit their web sites to learn about the work they do.

Here’s an excellent book: The American Bird Conservancy Guide to Bird Conservation

You can help – Please share this blog with others.

Inspiring Respect for Nature, one bird at a time.

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