Joy,

Your story reminds me of concentrating too much on getting some good video of
a singing Canyon Wren in Pipestone Canyon a few years ago. I was so intent on
getting into position that the telltale "rattle" took me a few extra seconds
to recognize.
End result: the wren flew away but I managed to get some neat footage of the
coiled rattlesnake!

And then, there are all the alligator encounters while birding in the South!
Don't get me started.

Joe Meche
Bellingham, WA