WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge — Unlikely
Unlikely as it is, the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge theme of ‘Unlikely’ caused a little poem to pop into my head to accompany some pictures I had in mind for the challenge. I hope you enjoy it.
Unlikely Ever To Say Die
How likely would it be for the cheeky spinebill to outwit me?
It hid and twittered in the shrubby tree, but I was not content to let it be;
I came ’round about, hoping and scheming to flush it right out.
Quick, your camera, my hubby said, there’s another one just ahead.
It cannot be said that I didn’t try, but my little camera chose that moment to die.
Ho-hum. How likely is that?


It is plain, there is no doubt, that little birds are hard to photograph.
Take the tree-creeper for a start, it whizzes ‘round trunk like a small go-cart;
Up, up, up it goes into the gloom, to the place where no lens zooms.
My little camera is no good, and still I thought it could, it should.
So what’s the chance it’ll capture the bird? And be sharp, in focus, and not a blur?
Ho-hum, absolutely no chance at all.

And still I thought, I should try again, with hubby’s camera, a bigger lens.
So I sought out my hubby and entreated him to help me out.
Jump in the car, come with me, there are still more birds we have to see.
We walked and walked and walked again, hoping to find our sweet little friend.
Then, we saw the family – three happy little tree-creepers in a tree. How lucky were we.
And what are the chances that one would be still? Chances are probably Buckley’s or nil.

So, I said to my husband dear, just to make it perfectly clear —
I need a new camera. Nothing less than spectacular.
I want to snap landscapes, a macro or two; I want to shoot birds, take action shots too.
I trawled the internet looking for such a beast. I googled my options. Admitted defeat.
And yet, hope will not die. Aussie Mother’s Day is nigh. Never say never while I’m still alive.
Will I get lucky? Care to hazard a guess? Ho-hum, highly unlikely I have to confess.
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What a delight to read this this morning!! I just experienced this all yesterday!
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Haha. Glad I’m not the only one with this problem. 🙂
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Reblogged this on shutterbugdiary and commented:
Such a great read that I had to share! If you have ever tried to take pictures of birds, this is for you!
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I loved this silly poem (silly in the best sense) and all the birds.I was out yesterday with only my phone. I stood under two redtail hawks and thought, “Take their photo? Naw.” I just watched them. They were silhouetted against the sky anyway. Hope you get the fancy camera.
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Thanks Martha. I won’t be getting the fancy camera, but that’s okay. But maybe eventually something less fancy. But which feature to compromise on is a difficult decision to make, and usually ends in the status quo. It is nice to enjoy the birds without trying to take their photo. I do that a lot.
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As a fellow chaser of birds this truly made me laugh. 😂 I can totally relate! And I do hope you get a new camera!
Nice response to the challenge!
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Thank you so much. I needed to draw my husband’s attention to my plight that I need a new camera! And this seemed a rather nice way of doing that. 🙂
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Very clever,Tracy to make a poem out of unlikely! I’ve been trying to get a photo of a spinebill myself and know how difficult it is.
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It sure is, Jane. 🙂
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Well done with the beautiful clear photo of the tree creeper. I chuckled all the way through your delightful poem. Had the same problem with the wren in my unlikely post. Not the sharpest, but oh well, near enough is good enough sometimes
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I confess I had to sharpen that photo up a bit, Pauline. My husband has a lovely camera, but it is not for me because all the photos on AF seem to be blurry. The camera wants to focus on anything but the bird. 😦 Hence, I’m looking for a camera that I can tell what I want it to focus on, but $$$$. Your little wren turned out well I thought.
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What is Stevie’s camera? We like Cannons and have lots of enjoyment with them, but tend to leave it in auto….
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Stevie? If you mean my hubby, he has a Nikon D90. It’s old. You have to do a lot of the thinking yourself.
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Delightful post! I totally ‘get’ it!
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🙂
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Such a lovely poem! Really love the rythm and the suspense you’ve created! The birds are so beautiful and I know that moment well when the battery dies or the birds are too far to really catch them! Hope mother’s day will bring a new spectacular camera!!😄
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Thank you, Sarah. I think I may have found a little camera that might work for me. Not spectacular but it should take a better photo than my phone. 🙂
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Hi again Tracy I’ve just nominated you to take part in the 3 day quote challenge. https://retiredfromgypsylife.wordpress.com/2018/05/05/the-3-day-quote-challenge-2/ Only if you have the time, no pressure, but I’m sure you have some good quotes to share with us.
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That last photo is gorgeous!
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Thank you. It was so sweet that little bird. It was such a lucky shot. Thank you for commenting.
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Thank you for the smiles today – this was a fun post to read! :-)!
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You’re welcome, Shelley. Thank you for visiting.
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These are wonderful. Where were you?
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I live in Canberra, Australia. These were taken at the Australian National Botanic Gardens and a nearby nature reserve.
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I know, right! It is always about the camera (as I always tell my family!) 😀
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Don’t let your family persuade you otherwise. 🙂
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😀 😀
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