GReat idea for a thread, should get some great stories. Here are a couple of mine:
Years ago, around 1990-1995 or so, living very close to Lake Sam Rayburn in East Texas, I carried my Pentax KX, K1000, ME or ME Super (whichever was in working condition at the time) on long walks by the lake. The 70-210 Vivitar was a great lens, but not quite enough to reach out there for most bird shots. Walking the woods road one day I spotted a rather large bird flying toward me very low. I thought it was a wild turkey at first, never suspecting it was actually a full grown Bald Eagle.
I stood there gawking, my SLR hung around my neck by the strap, and didn't have the presence of mind to get it to my eye RIGHT NOW...and the eagle lit on a tree limb about 30-40 feet away. Perfect shot, out in the open, great semi cloudy lighting, just the perfect chance, and close enough to get a spectacuilar shot...and my camera was hanging there not even in my hands...
I tried to ever so slowly raise it and get a shot - not a chance. My hands moved about 2 inches and the eagle flew away, not even giving me a good chance at a decent in-flight shot. I hadn't even touched the camera yet when the bird flew. Eagle eye...
On another occasion about 2 miles down the lake shore, I heard a hawk squeal and saw its shadow at the same time, looked up and two Red Tailed Hawks were circling above me, maybe 20 feet in the air. Where was my camera? About 2 1/2 miles away sitting on the kitchen table...That never happened again, the camera was and still is always either in my hands while walking or on the front seat while driving...and I still miss good shots, a couple very recently but I can't remember what or when...
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