Bird photography is like real-life Pokémon

I’m just starting out with bird photography, and I’ve compiled a short-list of birds I want to take photos of, to have some sort of goal when I’m out there and what to look out for. It also helps if I have a few birds I’ve looked up to be able to say “oh cool, that’s a gray kingbird!” I went on my first outing today dedicated to bird photography and after a few shots I realized it was the same feeling as encountering wild Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. I’d never been excited about pigeons or grackles, until today since they were part of my short-list. My goal was to take a shot of a Gray Kingbird, if possible, and I found one that was willing to cooperate long enough for me to figure out which camera settings I need. But the real joy came when I spotted a bird I thought was going to take me a long time to find in the wile. Everything I’d read and watched on bird photography said spotting an owl would be the hardest part. Even harder, a Puerto Rican owl (Gymnasio nudipes), which…