Bird Pictures -- on the road to Serendip

Lafreniere Park in Metairie is one of my favorite place to shoot pictures of birds. The birds are somewhat tolerant of humans (the many children visiting with bread and other treats have taught them not to shy to far away). My other and perhaps most favorite spot is the rookery in Audubon Park in New Orleans. I'm still scouting for others.

One thing I learned about shooting birds -- don't be in a hurry. And, if you go to shoot an ibis and end up with a better picture of tri-colored heron, treat it as Serendipity (Wikipedia defines that as "the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while looking for something else entirely.")

I think if we were more open to Serendipity this would be a better world. Read the Wikipedia article. You will find that Henry Walpole who coined the term in 1754 noted calls it "accidental sagacity (for you must observe that no discovery of a thing you are looking for, comes under this description)."

Serendipity for our lives has been stick'em notes, the slinky, small pox vaccine, xrays, penicillin, velcro, chocolate chip cookies, artificial sweetners, Viagra, teflon, gravity (remember the apple) and microwaves.

It is a total wonder to me that most accidental discoveries are never made because people are not in the right mind to receive them.

Wow, that's a long way from shooting pictures of birds isn't it.

The mind wonders.

--steve buser