On a cold but bright winter's day in January 2021, I set of out with the camera and big lens and went up the River Don to a place where I knew there would be swans and other birds. I had been there for over 2 hours and decided to pack up. My hands were frozen and I was getting very cold. As soon as I had decided to do this, a pair of swans decided to take off. I had to rush to get the camera back on the monopod and the lens wasn't fully extended, so I was lucky that the images came out at all. However, surprisingly, some did.
It is just so typical, as a nature and wildlife photographer, that things happen when you are the least prepared, or when you take your eyes off the subject.