Shared by Turner Wilkes, as Guest Blogger.

As I have gotten more engrossed in nature photography and as a wildlife enthusiast, I have compiled an ever increasing list of things I want to see and when possible, photograph. The list is continually expanding with animals of varying levels of rarity. However I learned through trial and error that I needed to ditch having expectations, and rather have hopes.

If I have expectations when I'm on a hike, then I'm setting myself up for more stress and disappointment, whereas with hope, I can just transfer it over to my next attempt.

DROP YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND ENJOY WHAT COMES YOUR WAY

The given name for a group of butterflies is Kaleidoscope, and looking at this shot it is easy to see why. 

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (pictured above) is Virginia's state insect, and while they are common they are still amazing to look at. This was shot on the banks of Swift Creek Lake at Pocahontas State Park, while they were replenishing their salt levels. I was looking for the bald eagle but these shots were some of my favorites from the day. 

For the times that I have been able to knock something off my wish list, that transference of hope has made it so much sweeter. When I have clung to keeping expectations, I become focused on only the one thing. The shame of that is that I have probably missed out on some spectacular things just because I'm dead set on that higher target.

There is a psychological phenomenon

It is known as "Inattentional Blindness" or "Perceptual Blindness"; wherein people become blind to certain things because they are focused on something else. This concept was put to test in 2004 by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons with a study now known as "The Invisible Gorilla". This study earned them a Nobel Prize and can be found online. The basics of this study is that there are two groups of people, one group in white shirts and the other in black; the viewer is asked to count how many times one of the groups pass a basketball to one another within a given time. In the midst of this action in walks a person in a gorilla costume. More than half the time the viewer was so focused on counting the passes that they never noticed the gorilla. They were blinded by their own brain because they were too focused on a certain task or goal.

I am just as guilty as the next person

Guilty for setting an agenda, trying to squeeze things in to the time I have, with the idea that I will make that most of the trip. Sometimes covering too much trail for a short amount of time and ultimately rushing; and while I hesitate to call any hike a waste, defeating what a hike is for me.

When I am at my best and happiest

Is when I can zigzag all over and appreciate everything around me; I'm looking up, looking down, crawling on my knees to find a cool angle, climbing on logs to get a different perspective, rolling over dead logs to reveal a hidden treasure. I try to throw out any pride I may have as I take pictures; I shoot anything and everything. Possibly the worst truth of all is that I do all this and I'm still in sight of my vehicle.

While I may hope to see an eagle or some migratory birds, I try my best not to miss the smaller things that are placed in front of me by chance.

Interestingly enough, more times than not, as I sit down to edit my shots, I find that some of my favorite shots have been the unexpected things.

Those simple things that I happen to catch because I kept an open mind. Just because something is common doesn't mean that it isn't something special that we shouldn't enjoy.

Finding unexpected things I might have overlooked

Thankfully I have loosened up, and because of that I have found myself experiencing some things that I would have otherwise overlooked. It is no secret that the Virginia State Parks offer a variety of beautiful landscapes, unique historic sites, and some of the most amazing flora and fauna (but then again I'm a bit biased).

The pictures below are all pictures that I have taken over the last couple of years, some with a DSLR, some with a simple point and shoot; but all of these are shots that I took while I was searching for something else. They could have easily been overlooked, but thankfully they weren't.

While these pictures came from Pocahontas State Park, there are treasures like these in every single Virginia State Park.

KILLDEER EGGS

Beaver Lake Trail is a great place to see a little bit of everything. I had set out in the evening with the hopes of catching some beavers hard at work, but came across what I thought was an injured bird. Turns out this bird was the Killdeer, a type of plover that is well known for faking an injury to divert predators from their ground nest. These eggs are camouflaged and specifically designed to roll in a tight circular path so that if they do move they don’t venture too far from its original spot.

BLACK RAT SNAKE 

Snakes tend to get mixed reviews from people. I have often found that when I find a snake they are usually not in a photogenic location, nor position. So while paddling in hopes of finding the Ospreys on Swift Creek Lake at Pocahontas State Park, I was thrilled to find this lovely lady (a Black Rat Snake) crossing the lake and meandering through the lily pads.

GREEN HERON 

The Great Blue Heron is a towering sight with some standing close to 6 feet tall; but its smaller cousin, the Green Heron, is much more elusive and shy. I had spent the morning upstream on Swift Creek Lake in hopes of catching a glimpse of the barred owl I frequently hear calling out; after two hours of no luck I head back and as I round a bend found this colorful heron perched and ready to catch a fish.

BEAVER

The beaver is one of Virginia's largest rodents, and well known for its nocturnal lifestyle. I have caught many beavers in the evening but the lighting is usually bad and I hate using a flash, especially with water. So it was a treat and a surprise to find this one getting a midnight snack (at least for nocturnal wildlife) an early afternoon on Swift Creek Lake. 

THE GREEN CATHEDRAL

The upstream portion of Swift Creek Lake (Pocahontas State Park) has always been a favorite of mine. It's a treasure of colorful warblers and small flowers. I have been to this spot many times before, this day tracking a King Fisher; losing the bird but coming to this area that some friends had named "The Cathedral". 

The trees arch over the river, spattering light through the leaves like stained glass. 

SNOWDROP FLOWER

The Snowdrop flower got its name for being one of the earliest blooms to appear after winter. I like to try early spring kayak trips up stream on Swift Creek Lake at Pocahontas State Park in hopes of finding some nesting pairs of wood ducks. Typically this time of year the plants are not in their full glory, but finding these subtle yet gorgeous flowers standing out by themselves was a true gift.

 

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Editor's Note: Turner Wilkes is a lifelong Virginia native and self-proclaimed "Nature Nerd" that has worked with school-aged children in an educational setting in Central Virginia for 12 years. He tries his best to "Get Out" as much as he can, either on a trail or by kayak, and preferably with his camera and his dog Scout.

Be inspired by Turner Wilkes, follow his nature photography on Instagram: @thenatureboy_turnerwilkes