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This page will act as a photographic journal. What I'm using, why I like various bits of kit, how I set up certain shots. Stuff that on the whole would act as a massive turn-off for anyone not interested in wildlife photography. Red-necked Phalarope
July 12, 2014
Red-necked Phalaropes are pretty much everywhere in Iceland, and wherever the habitat is suitable birds were to be found, and in some numbers. Much is made of the island of Flatey, and indeed many of the images that follow were taken there. However if you don't like boats, or the £35 cost of the trip is a deterrent, then you can do just as well simply by driving around until you find shallow pools. Sooner or later, a Phalarope will drop in. Another top birding destination, Myvatn Lake in the north, could have been excellent, but on the day we visited the wind had got up and the water was very choppy. It is true, however, that the birds on Flatey are particularly tame, even as Phalaropes go - which is saying something. The island is very small, with a handful of houses, and the birds are all around you in the village, on small puddles, ditches, pools, and also in the bays. I found that the best time to photograph them in the sea was on the rising tide, but by contrast found the pools on Flatey rather difficult as many of them were hidden in the long wet grass and very narrow. Luckily we came across some simply brilliant pools on the Snaefellsnes peninsula near Grundarfjordur which were tiny and still, and with mountain backdrops I was able to get the pure green background and foreground I was looking for. Every single image was taken more or less flat on my stomach - on the path, in the mud, in the seaweed. One dimensional perhaps, and I got pretty mucky, but these are tiny birds and I didn't want to be pointing down at them if I could help it. Also worth noting is that almost every single image is full frame, and some were even taken with my 5D3 which is a full frame camera. In fact I also had to break out the 12mm extension tube, which is practically unheard of! These birds really don't care a hoot for people or the noise of a shutter, which is how I like it.
Golden Plover
July 05, 2014
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I've just spent a long weekend in Iceland, the sole purpose of which was bird photography. One of the top targets was Golden Plover, a species that barring a few birds that landed on Wanstead Flats last year, I've never had any decent opportunities with. Iceland remedied that! Goldies are everywhere, from lava fields to upland moors, an incredibly common and easy bird to photograph. And of course they're in stunning summer plumage. I had a great time, the challenge was mainly to see what kind of background could be achieved, and whether the bird had a nice perch. Several hours were spent over the course of the three days with a succession of birds that we spotted from the roadside, with some shots taken from the car, and others crawling along the ground. Even though we had taken loads, we could not help ourselves if we saw a bird in beautiful habitat. Here are a few from the trip, apologies if it's too many!
Song Sparrow
July 05, 2014
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As I already mentioned, my trip to America was a family holiday rather than anything to do with birding, but I I snuck the odd moment. This particular moment was a Song Sparrow just over the road from my Grandma's house in a vacant lot that had gone to seed - perfect habitat. Song Sparrow is really common, but it didn't stop me, bird-starved as I was, from trying to get some images in a quick jaunt out of the front door. All hand-held, the first is easily the best, but it would be a very short post if that's all I shared!
Red-winged Blackbird
June 09, 2014
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Apologies for the constant jumping between continents, I'm processing the files in no particular order other than those which grab at a particular moment in time. Tonight I happened to glance at the few Red-winged Blackbird images I found, and decided I had enough for a quick post, so that's what I'm doing. This species was perhaps almost as common as American Robin, but is a lot better. And they make brilliant noises too. The below were taken in Ohio near my Grandmother's house, and at Niagara Falls, where the birds are perhaps extra accustomed to loads of people. I didn't have the time to stake out a flight shot, but trust me when I say they look even more amazing than the displaying bird about half way down. Next time perhaps!
Bulbuls
June 08, 2014
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Red-whiskered Bulbuls were the most common, followed closely by Chinese Bulbul. I also saw Sooty-headed Bulbul and Chestnut Bulbul, but have no photos of either of these. My favourite shot is probably the first one, which was a grab shot at Discovery Bay as a bird flitted past me briefly - 1/400s at f5.6 whilst at 700mm, so pretty pleasing really. In fact all of these shots were hand-held, I barely used the monopod as it was so hot and humid my only desire was to shed as much weight as possible. Indeed this probably contributed to a very short time spent birding overall. You can see in the second image that the birds are feeling it too! In the third image I think my lens has steamed up - another constant annoyance as I moved between air-conditioned comfort and the sweltering stickiness of outside. Photographing birds in the tropics certainly has its challenges, so hats off to those that do it for a living!
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