Rich Steel
12-27-2008, 06:53 PM
Hi
I always enjoy photographing fieldfare, even though these winter visitors are difficult to approach and often take flight before you are anywhere near them. However, it is always rewarding when you do get close in to them, watching the birds pause low to the ground to listen for worms underground.
I decided to get up early on Boxing Day to shake of the excess of Christmas and go and try and find some at a local site I found last year, after two unsuccessful winters of trying to get a photo of one. Fortunately the birds were there so I managed to get a few photos but only by using the car as a mobile hide. Unfortunately my car is awaiting a new clutch at the moment and I am sure my efforts were not helped by my better half's car being bright orange!!! The site has areas of grassed embankments close to the roads which usefully allows the impression of being at ground level while still in the car :)
This bird was having a tug of war with a worm but the conclusion to the struggle as you might expect finally went the bird's way.
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/squidfish_2006/fieldfare100-1.jpg
Taken with 1Dmk3 and 500mm lens at ISO400 F4 (as the sun was only just emerging and I needed to lose a chain link fence behind) at 1/250s
Cheers
Rich
I always enjoy photographing fieldfare, even though these winter visitors are difficult to approach and often take flight before you are anywhere near them. However, it is always rewarding when you do get close in to them, watching the birds pause low to the ground to listen for worms underground.
I decided to get up early on Boxing Day to shake of the excess of Christmas and go and try and find some at a local site I found last year, after two unsuccessful winters of trying to get a photo of one. Fortunately the birds were there so I managed to get a few photos but only by using the car as a mobile hide. Unfortunately my car is awaiting a new clutch at the moment and I am sure my efforts were not helped by my better half's car being bright orange!!! The site has areas of grassed embankments close to the roads which usefully allows the impression of being at ground level while still in the car :)
This bird was having a tug of war with a worm but the conclusion to the struggle as you might expect finally went the bird's way.
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/squidfish_2006/fieldfare100-1.jpg
Taken with 1Dmk3 and 500mm lens at ISO400 F4 (as the sun was only just emerging and I needed to lose a chain link fence behind) at 1/250s
Cheers
Rich