This Trip Wasn’t Supposed to Happen | Hawaiʻi Island Wildlife Photography

Between burning out with my day job as an ICU nurse and juggling family obligations back home on Oʻahu, I almost didn't make it to the Big Island. But I needed this trip... not to escape, but to find myself again. What I didn't expect was for the stress to follow me there. Over three days on Hawaiʻi Island, I chased Pueo (Hawaiian Short-eared Owls) at golden hour, hiked the frosty trails of Puʻu ʻŌʻŌ searching for endangered honeycreepers, visited Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge with legendary biologist Jack Jeffrey, and found an unexpected reset with the Nēnē at Liliʻuokalani Gardens. This video is about homeostasis, not perfect balance, but the ability to come back to center when life pulls you off course. If you've ever felt like you're grinding with no end in sight, this one's for you. 📅 Support Conservation & This Channel 👉 Calendars & Prints linked below https://www.spencerleephotography.com Chapters 00:00 — Introduction 00:31 — Arriving on the Big Island 01:04 — Pueo Hunt #1: The Test 04:21 — Puʻu ʻŌʻŌ Trail: Frosty Forest Birding 06:19 — This Is What Burnout Does 09:35 — Honeycreeper Montage 10:13 — Nēnē Reset at Liliuokalani Gardens 14:31 — Pueo Hunt #2: Learning Boundaries 18:31 — Hakalau Forest with Jack Jeffrey 26:49 — Pueo Hunt #3: The Save 26:42 — Reflection: Building Resets 28:05 — What's Next: Kauaʻi 📸 Main Photo & Video Gear (Some links may be affiliate links, which help support the channel at no extra cost to you.) Backpack: Nomatic PM 25L: https://bhpho.to/3L2VscW ThinkTank Backlight Sprint: https://amzn.to/48fQoKN Shimoda (“Lee10” for 10% off): https://shimodadesigns.com/action-x/ Cameras: Sony a1ii: https://bhpho.to/487Ql2p Sony a7v: https://bhpho.to/4jpJOFD Sony ZVE1: https://bhpho.to/4rvrtL4 Meta Oakley HSTN: https://bhpho.to/47ZmpXu iPhone 17 Pro Max: https://amzn.to/4o3TYfV Lenses: Sony 300mm GM: https://bhpho.to/3KaBcpc Sigma 20-200: https://bhpho.to/4a8IV1u Sony 14mm GM: https://bhpho.to/3MXf0jw Sony 16mm: https://bhpho.to/3LTtLDo Teleconverters: 2x: https://bhpho.to/3KdT56p 1.4x: https://bhpho.to/4rdRJJw Drones: DJI Mavic 4 Pro: https://bhpho.to/4jlmNn6 DJI Mini 4 Pro: https://bhpho.to/4aFOIMt Tripods: FLM: https://bhpho.to/3XdcmrD Ballhead: https://bhpho.to/48es5vA PD Pro Lite: https://bhpho.to/4aJG2EQ