Weekly Photo Challenge: Surprise (in Jamaica)

There is often an element of surprise in Jamaica. Perhaps the thing is that what others might find unusual in our everyday lives, I no longer do. I think it’s partly to do with my own character – few things truly surprise me, these days. Is that a good thing or not? Well, before I get too philosophical, let me show you a few photos which – I think – do reflect surprise, as that is the topic of this week’s Weekly Photo Challenge.

Two are “people pictures” and the other two are just oddities (both encounters during birdwatching excursions, coincidentally).

Jamaican author A-dziko Simba Gegele is a marvellous storyteller. Now, something dramatic has just happened here, judging from her body language, at a book festival on Independence Day 2015. (My photo)

Photo bombs can be pretty surprising. I was taking a nice picture of Lester Doodnath at the BirdsCaribbean International Conference in July 2015 when Mark Yokoyama popped up behind him! Lester is from Trinidad and Mark from St. Martin.

A tiny surprise visitor: During a birdwatching session in Hope Gardens last year, this small but exquisite praying mantis landed in my hair!

During BirdLife Jamaica’s trip to Portland Cottage, Clarendon last November, we found not much “wet” in the wetlands – but plenty mud. And someone had simply stepped out of their water boots!