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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MTem" data-source="post: 3510227" data-attributes="member: 107707">I too am finding this increasingly bizarre - but for a different reason. As I commented on another thread recently, although I have been birding for about 50 years - from the age of 10 or so - with variable intensity of course, and have hence lived through the pre-digital (and for most the pre-camera) age I do now carry a DSLR camera habitually - and bins - and a scope. I have great eyesight for a ROF, but now find it harder to capture small features convincingly in a small, fast-moving and/or flying bird. It seems my mind's 'shutter-speed' maximum is reducing with age. Also whereas for a lot of my earlier years I just didn't bother with some complex species groups or subspecies (gulls especially) as my allowable birding time was 'domestically-limited'.Now however I have all the time in the world, and also the necessary financial resources to buy all the necessary cr@p - so a perfect day out in the field for me now also includes trying to get good enough photos to allow me to study some of the more detailed features in the comfort and warmth of my house. If I had just got into birding I have no doubt a camera would be as vital as bins and a scope, and I would carry all three on all but the most casual of outings.Some do it seems try to substitute personal effort with a few images, but most supplement - me as well - and I think this supplementation is progress not regression..... for as long as I am fit enough to carry it all anyway!Also - even back in the day some of the field notes and sketches I saw would not differentiate a Blackbird from a Common scoter. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />Mick</blockquote>

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