I lay flat in the mud, trying not to think about how cold and damp it was. The Green Sandpiper stood just ahead in the shallow water, motionless, completely unaware of me. My camera was ready, lens hovering just above the surface. From down here, everything looked different—bigger, more alive. The bird’s reflection was nearly perfect, broken only by the ripples in the water.
For a moment, it felt like time had stopped. Just me, the bird, and the stillness of the marsh. There it was, perfect.