One of my intended goals is to get better at bird photography. This is an example of why i need to do that! This is a Common Snipe and the first one I have photographed. I took this image in Texas on the Gulf Coast where Whooping Cranes winter. ( I did see three Whoopers but at several hundred feet) I saw three Dowitchers along the shore and took a couple of shots, then this one, in poor light with lots of bright reflections in the wrong place caught my eye and I snapped a shot thinking it was yet another Dowitcher. Wrong. Again. It was my first sighting of the Snipe and, obviously, my first photo. Because I was careless I did not even ID this until months after and still wish I had been thoughtful with the photo. If it is worth taking it is worth taking as well as one can.

So, one goal is more thoughtful shooting in general and planning for birds in particular. (By the way this Snipe is my 421st North American species)