Now here is a tiny awkward looking bird. A “little brown job” they say in the field. Its tail and wings are hidden, but the angry-dinosaur look from the beady eye gives it presence. At approximately 12 grams in size it is easy to overlook, difficult to distinguish from its cousins and, believe it or not, is one of the many reasons I got into photography. I thought if I could only make these little things stand still, I would get to know what they are. A fool and her money are easily parted. There is no way of knowing from this photograph which cisticola this is. You need to add knowledge of area, song and behaviour to become sure. Maybe. Sure-ish. Or to put it bluntly: old world slogging through the fields is still what gains the birder her knowledge. And the photo stays what it is – a two dimensional representation to wonder over. To remember.