On leaving the camera at home

I walked a familiar loop without the camera last week and I noticed that I was a worse birder for about the first ten minutes and then a better birder for the next ninety. The loss is obvious: I can’t confirm a tricky one with a zoomed frame. The gain is subtler. Without the camera I’m paying attention with my ears for longer before my eyes take over, and I’m more patient with birds I don’t have a plan for. I’m not going to stop carrying the camera. But I think I’ll leave it in the car more often.