[PIC_THREAD] Wildlife, Animals, Birds, Zoo

Pooh said:
how about a tighter crop ? Stick the bird on the bottom 3rd corner
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I did think about it but honestly I like it with the wider fov showing the bird in context of the environment. The lens used also doesn't really have the resolution to support much cropping even if i wanted to, it's just a 40 quid 500mm f8 that I picked up on ebay.
 
Matt_Hirst said:
They are fun to see, the youngsters are really funny...pain to photograph though as constantly moving.
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Came here to say the same thing, they are a lovely little bird and generally move around in family groups so if you see one there are generally a few more about and you can here them chirping between themselves as they move in and the out normally quite quickly. Def makes photography a challenge as they move around so quick and then are gone as quickly as they all appeared!
 
Light was superb on Saturday, wind was not...all I will say is photographing a bird at the end of a reed that can travel around 4 ft between half pressing and getting focus and then fully pressing shutter release was a challenge.

Male Bearded Reedling Posing Right by Matt Hirst, on Flickr

Male Bearded Reedling Posing by Matt Hirst, on Flickr

Male Bearded Reedling Posing LookingOver Shoulder by Matt Hirst, on Flickr

Female Bearded Reedling by Matt Hirst, on Flickr

Male Bearded Reedling Posing Eating by Matt Hirst, on Flickr
 
Matt_Hirst said:
Light was superb on Saturday, wind was not...all I will say is photographing a bird at the end of a reed that can travel around 4 ft between half pressing and getting focus and then fully pressing shutter release was a challenge.
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A fantastic set of images Matt, the light on these is fantastic! What lens were you using for these?
 
A couple from a walk this morning local to me, a little Wren singing it's heart out and actually sat still long enough to photograph and a Little Egret looking for breakfast in a marshy field.

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So one of my goals for this year is to try an photograph a Kingfisher, the colours are amazing and has been on my list for awhile now. I live near a couple of rivers and have seen the dart of blue while walking to work etc. People who have photographed them do you have any tips on how to locate them for photography?
 
Go out with binoculars, sit about 30 yards back from your river so you're out of view, watch and listen. If they are active in an area you'll hear them before you see them and they have regular spots they'll perch at. They hunt in slow moving water preferably 2ft deep or less.
 
As has been said above just walk the river, look for slack or slow moving water, also look for natural perches around or near the slack water and finally then look for a good position to be able to sit and wait...firstly with binoculars, second with a camera. Then just sit and wait.

Again listen out for them, if they show up, leave them a short while to settle before you make any movement. Walk the length of river stopping in as many locations, give each location at least 30 mins of sitting in the initial look see.

The other option is find a good place to sit near slack water, set camera on a tripod. Put a perch out on the river bank overhead of the slack water...go back to camera and have it all focused on the branch or near enough...sit with your finger on the shutter and wait. Kingfishers are very aware of changes to their surroundings so when a new perch is found on the water they usually fly by then fly back to try the new perch out.

One word of caution obviously be aware we are coming to nesting season and kingfishers are schedule one birds so I would probably only reccomend the second option to photograph them away from nesting sites or later on in the year. If a nesting site is found as you observe, best advice is make a mental note of it but walk away and leave alone until you know the babies have fledged.

Matt
 
And said:
Go out with binoculars, sit about 30 yards back from your river so you're out of view, watch and listen. If they are active in an area you'll hear them before you see them and they have regular spots they'll perch at. They hunt in slow moving water preferably 2ft deep or less.
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Matt_Hirst said:
As has been said above just walk the river, look for slack or slow moving water, also look for natural perches around or near the slack water and finally then look for a good position to be able to sit and wait...firstly with binoculars, second with a camera. Then just sit and wait.

Again listen out for them, if they show up, leave them a short while to settle before you make any movement. Walk the length of river stopping in as many locations, give each location at least 30 mins of sitting in the initial look see.

The other option is find a good place to sit near slack water, set camera on a tripod. Put a perch out on the river bank overhead of the slack water...go back to camera and have it all focused on the branch or near enough...sit with your finger on the shutter and wait. Kingfishers are very aware of changes to their surroundings so when a new perch is found on the water they usually fly by then fly back to try the new perch out.

One word of caution obviously be aware we are coming to nesting season and kingfishers are schedule one birds so I would probably only reccomend the second option to photograph them away from nesting sites or later on in the year. If a nesting site is found as you observe, best advice is make a mental note of it but walk away and leave alone until you know the babies have fledged.

Matt
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Many thanks for the tips, I live near near the River Thames and we have tributary that feeds into it that is a lot smaller and shallower which is where I have seen the flash of blue on a couple of occasions so I suspect this river will be my better option from both of your advice. Thanks for the advise on nesting season I think I will wait until later in the year before I attempt photography.
 
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