The weather has been anything but typical lately. Just a few days ago, temperatures in central Poland reached 39°C. Even the evenings felt tropical. Cycling was still manageable on my road bike because I could stop to refill my water bottles. Carrying a heavy camera, however, was another story. Walking in the full sun with several kilograms of gear simply wasn’t appealing. That made this jay gathering twigs one of the few wildlife encounters I enjoyed during the heatwave.

A busy spell of translation work also kept me indoors. I spent long hours in front of the computer, leaving little time — or motivation — for photography. As a result, it’s been a while since my last post.

Now the weather has swung to the other extreme. Instead of intense heat, we have strong winds and temperatures of only 19°C. That’s just as unusual for July in central Poland. Crosswinds make riding a lightweight road bike uncomfortable because sudden gusts can easily push you off your line. For now, my heavier trekking bike is the better choice.

With the cooler air, I finally headed out for a short evening photo walk. I wasn’t expecting much. Wildlife often stays hidden after days of extreme heat, and many birds prefer the shelter of trees and shrubs during the hottest part of the day.

It didn’t take long before I spotted a Eurasian jay carrying a bundle of thin twigs through the shade. I’ve always found jays fascinating. They’re intelligent, curious birds, and this wasn’t my first memorable encounter with one. If you’ve read The Jay That Paused, you’ll know what I mean. This time, though, curiosity took second place to the task at hand.

This bird paused for a moment and looked at me with obvious curiosity. Perhaps it wondered why I was standing in the sunshine while it had sensibly chosen the shade. A second later, it continued on its way, disappearing among the trees with its untidy bundle of nesting material. The whole encounter lasted only a few seconds, leaving little time to think about camera settings or composition. You simply react and hope you’ve captured the story.

After days of extreme heat, strong winds and long hours at the computer, photographing this jay gathering twigs felt like a welcome return to the outdoors. It proved that memorable wildlife encounters can happen just as easily close to home. Sometimes all it takes is a short walk close to home.

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Not every memorable photograph comes from a long journey. Sometimes all it takes is a short walk and a little patience. If you’ve had a similar experience, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.