There are several classes of birder. The 'twitchers' that chase around to see as many rarities as possible to add to their lists, the 'patch workers' that concentrate their efforts on working a local patch and do an excellent job by informing the rest of us about local sightings, the general birders, general birders that also take photos to record what they see, and pure bird/wildlife photographers.

When I first started this interest, it rapidly became clear to me that just seeing something and ticking it off on a list would not satisfy my needs.

At the time, when considering the options, a friend asked me whether I would get more enjoyment from a long-distance record shot of a rare bird, or a really good shot of a common bird. The latter was my immediate choice and so bgan the the expensive merry-go-round of new and increasingly expensive kit every so often. I place myself firmly on the latter category.

Last Thursday, with reasonable weather, and another day tidying up the garden not at all attractive, I suddenly decided, about mid morning, to throw the gear into the car and spend some time at nearby reserve at Welney. No great expectations which was just as well.

Welney is famous for it's winter gathering of Whooper Swans that have migrated from summering in Iceland and other arctic regions. There were a few present but not the usual number as the recent south-westerly winds had held back many of our wintering migrants. Apart from that, there were usual common suspects so, once again, it was time to try to improve on my stock photos.

First were Greylag Geese that were flying around.

with loads of Canada Geese

An interesting shot of a drake Mallard showing off it's tonsils (if birds have any, that is!!!)

A few Mute Swans occasionally took to the air instead of their usual activity of just swimming looking pretty.

and a rarish sight for me, a juvenile flying around.

Finally, a couple of shots of the Whooper Swans.

So another day when reasonable quality shots of common stuff had to satisfy me. Still, after all that, I really look forward to getting a decent shot of something different for a change!!!