Curiosity is often seen as a pursuit of an intelligent mind, but it’s also the pursuit of an interested heart, one that wants to experience the wonders of life and nature, and simply be there.
Here, I share reflections from my own time in the wild, and how wonder unfolds for me.
Oh It’s There !
This is how it begins, a new bird, an animal, or a different sunset.
The newness of the experience draws the mind’s attention, and everything else fades into the background.
Sinking It In
Looking through the camera, as attention settles on the bird in front, time seems to slow down. The graceful movements, the waiting for that moment when intuition quietly says, oh yes… click!
The photograph may or may not turn out as imagined, but a strange sense of what just happened remains. The pause, the silence, and the bird leave behind an imprint that words can’t quite describe.
A Different Rhythm !
The smell of soil, vegetation, and dew holds the mind in the present, with little active thinking. The long periods of inactivity, and sometimes boredom, follows sudden spurts in activity. The alertness, the intense focus and the engagement make me wonder whether the mind is truly in charge or if nature is guiding it in subtle ways.
Perhaps this is nature’s way of nudging attention to look deeper, and to be fully alert when needed.
Face to Face
These are the most intense moments, face to face with wildlife, eye to eye.
It begins with fear, followed by suspicion on both sides. But slowly, you realise the animal is just as interested in living as you are, and equally afraid.
Fear then gives way to instincts, as you somehow get to know actions which are mutually beneficial. What remains after the animal moves away is a quiet sense of gratitude.
Often the camera helps. It gives time for both souls to breathe, observe, and build confidence.
Birds are often too alert for one-to-one encounters. Even brief eye contact often leads them flying away. It is in deep silence, with minimal body movements, that birds begin to trust and appear, offering brief glimpses into their world. Birds read silence and the body language far more than we imagine.
A Book That Opens More Than it Closes
Experiences in the wild open a curious mind more than they close it. The deeper the mind looks, the stronger the urge to return with the camera and look further. But what is it really looking for ?
Not answers to preconceived questions, but a sense that something can happen beyond what it already knows to be possible.
Then comes those moments, on a gentle turn of a forested road, where attention is held. Something is there. The mind looks deeper, and time seems to pause in those moments. What is known feels less, as the situation can move in any direction, and the mind stays alert.
And during one of these moments, something does happen that leaves the mind in quiet disbelief, and more curious then before.
Nature, rather than closing the seeking mind with answers, fills it with experiences and what lingers afterward is a sense:
Curious Little 