Scissor-tailed flycatcher and a breathtaking moment

A scissor-tailed flycatcher photographed at Lake Woodlands, Texas. Emotions are tied to memories. I have understood that academically for a long time, but it was when I witnessed a scissor-tailed flycatcher in flight that it was affirmed. I rented a kayak while visiting Lake Woodlands in Texas. It wasn't much; basically a sit-on-top bit of plastic that I could paddle. However, it allowed me to explore a sheltered coastline without disturbing wildlife along its shores. And so, camera equipment stowed in water-tight bags, I leisurely was on my way. It was memorable in that I encountered numerous bird species, some that I had never before encountered. A variety of herons, egrets, and ducks, not to mention Egyptian geese. But the one that really caught my attention was my first-ever scissor-tailed flycatcher. It was sitting on a pole with rampant construction machines busily terraforming the land behind it. The long bifurcated tail told me what it was in an instant; I had seen