I have missed quite a few opportunities for great observations.
The mink that stood in plain sight, looking right at me. When I finally had my camera ready, it disappeared into the rocks lining the shoreline of Lake Geneva.
Also the time I saw an osprey fly right overhead while my camera refused to focus - that was pretty frustrating.
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Hmm In Italy (in the Dolomites) we climbed a mountain and were stuka bombed by a golden eagle, and after a shipment of imported timber was taken to my school playground (5 yrs ago) a large beetle, that in my opinion was a very likely Giant Capricorn Beetle emerged when the wood chips were laid down. We had some images, but they were deleted, and I could not recover them.
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Too many to countā¦
One holiday, We were up near sharkās bay. While staying at some camping grounds we saw 3 collared whip snakes, a Rosenās snake, a shovel nosed snake, lots of blind snakes, a desert banded snake and I even relocated a python from the toilets. But did i get a photo of any of them? No. Every time I saw a snake, my camera wasnāt with me. It was a great experience though.
All those years growing up in Papua new guinea I got very few photos of snakes. Iām thankful that my parents are interested in nature so I have got some that they took.
Also many years snorkelling without a camera, I missed so many awesome species, including sea kraits, pipefish and seahorses
To be honest, Iām just thankful about the times I did manage to get a shot in.
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Missed a leucistic skunk that showed up randomly at my old house. I did however get images of the normal variety.
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Well, I had one just yesterday! I was on a botany trip and the road we took was just by a large river. In the other side there were forest remmanents and a little sand road. Then, when we were returning, I saw two of the largest iguanas Iāve ever seen! They were pretty on shape through, since even through the car slowed down, as soon as I put the phone to take the photo, they skiddled onto the wilderness behind. I feel bad for not being quick enoughā¦ and I was ashamed of asking my friend to stop the car to see them, since we already stopped like three times because I wanted to photograph strange plants on the roadā¦
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Not so epic, but my first decent look at a water snakes species in my neighborhood. I forgot my phone :(
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Does anyone else have any near misses for a photo of elusive animal, being too late/early to see a far away plant in full bloom, accidentally lost/deleted pictures of some kind of life, or anything of the like? This thread is just to recall some good sightings that didnāt necessarily pan out for your life list on iNat but were still nice to see and/or to vent out some frustrations on not being able to get that great shot.
I have a few where I was on vacation somewhere and either missed a shot of some interesting lizards (Greece), couldnāt get a clear picture of a Pyrenean Chamois (France), missing shots of mammals like an American Mink or Flying Squirrel in local parks, plenty of times where I wasnāt aware of iNat so I didnāt take a photo of a particular plant or animal, and plenty more times where I didnāt have a good enough camera to get a good shot of something.
Anyone else have similar experiences that youād like to share?
Pair of Mustela putorius running near my legs. I wasnāt have camera then
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I think it makes sense to merge this with https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/anyone-else-miss-a-chance-to-document-a-truly-epic-observation/12069.
Yup! This year I missed a couple of lizards in Altai so have zero reptile observations out of Europe, I also saw Caspian Whipsnake once on the road and once basking near burrow, both times they escaped very quickly, I still only have observations of shed skin. Also many insects from the past, when photos werenāt essential, like Sisyra nigra, and most of plants when I visited White Sea as they just donāt grow that south where I live now. Also big Sphingidae, I saw many of them this year and got zero photos.
Thatās so cool you saw flying squirrels! Iāve tried to find nocturnal mammals for a long time with no success, itās a pity you didnāt get a photo, I hope you will do next time!
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A beautiful Western Skink in some leaf litter off a trail near Mount Tamalpais Watershed when I went to CA in 2019, Unfortunately as soon as it saw me it sprinted down the bank towards the waters edge, I got to see its blue tail though!
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Common racoon dog - was not fast enough to get my camera, Eurasian woodcock - flew almost from under my feet and my forever nemesis - hares. I see them a lot but they hide in shrubs too fast.
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Softshell Turtle, only one weāve ever seen, slipped into the river while we were reaching for our camera.
Chose to watch intently instead of document as a pair of Bald Eagles hunted a Gull to exhaustion in a winter lake and then killed it.
Couldnāt get camera out in time to capture Bald Eagles with locked talons hurtling toward ground. They let go and flew in different directions. The whole thing lasted fewer than 10 seconds.
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Well a red capped parrot flew into my leg yesterdayā¦
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The other thing I keep thinking about is all the orchids I know I must have missed when we went down to Albany in the middle of the orchid season because my eyes werenāt trained to them.
Saw this in kings park https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/96152068. snail orchids had been on my āto findā list for more then a year - and of course - no camera. Normally I donāt visit kings park much because Iām about a 1h drive away but a as luck would have it I had something on there the next day.
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I canāt explain how often I am riding in the bus (Itās how I travel for work, I donāt drive it, so Iām usually staring out the window or sleepingā¦ Fun times.) and I see birds in trees or on top of road signs. I pretty much never get a picture. It horrifies me after the fact. Usually theyāre super cool and big birds too, that I would love to get a picture of, but I just canāt get my phone out in time and then by the time my camera is out, itās behind the bus. Thereās probably 10 times I can clearly recall that I still regularly mope over. Iām always so close.
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Agreed! I didnāt see that topic beforehand but it makes sense to merge them.
And that whipsnake bit seems very frustrating, if youāre ever back in the area I hope you get a good shot of one.
Iāve only seen one flying squirrel but it would be very nice to get a shot of one, I just have to hope Iām fast enough and that the lighting is good.
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I definitely understand that! Iām often a passenger in a car when in a far off natural area and Iām able to get a quick shot occasionally but they never turn out that great. Some of them have been IDed but Iām sure most of them will never be.
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Haha, was it flying low or were you up high (or was it a pet)? Hopefully you see another that close up!
And yes, I canāt imagine how many interesting plants and fungi Iāve walked past without a second glance because I didnāt know what to look for or before I had iNat to help spark a greater interest in them.
Itās always a mustelid, I feel like Iāve seen mink so many times and then they disappear in an instant.
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