April 17, 2024
A few weeks ago I visited Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park with my camera – which is how I always visit Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park – and walked a trail I’d never walked before. Along the way I saw and heard a number of birds. They mostly flew in the treetops, which on that trail were pretty high, so I couldn’t be certain what birds I was seeing. I pointed my camera and I took pictures in the hope that I could identify them later when I got home.
In particular, I hoped to photograph an ‘amakihi.
I’ve seen them before; I’ve taken pictures of them before. It had been some time, however, since I’d seen or captured one. My trips to the park had won me a number of photos of ‘apapane, which I love. I came home from this particular trip with pictures of ‘apapane and a pair of nene that had decided to camp along Chain of Craters Road, which was delightful. I also believed that I’d finally photographed an ‘amakihi perched in a tree.
When I got home, I discovered that it was a mejiro, a wonderful bird to be sure, but not what I’d hoped.
Disappointment is a funny emotion. Mejiro are special birds. They’re mighty singers and they’re hard to spot. On most days, I’d be delighted to see one. On that day, however, I’d set my sights on an ‘amakihi, and as far as I could tell from the photos, hadn’t seen a single one. I was disappointed.
I don’t write this to say something like, “Always look on the bright side of life” (a la Monty Python). I write it to say that our moods and spirits depend on so many things, and one of the biggest is our goal or expectation. Realizing it, I managed to keep disappointment from becoming a deeper sadness.
It took two more trips to find an ‘amakihi, but I did it. I didn’t see any nene that day, though.
In peace,
Pastor Eric
Photo of an ‘amakihi (two trips later) by Eric Anderson.
