Wild Food for Birds & Photography


                                            Wild Food for Birds & Photography



Stopping the busy part of life and sitting counting birds for the RSPB’s Big Count brought home how much more one sees when just sitting still (with the luxury of a soothing cuppa in hand as opposed to the discomfort that the professional TV wildlife photographers often endure





Concentrating on one place or shrub, one notices the obscure, hidden things happening in the background... a wren showing its eye stripe for just one moment, blue tits hanging upside down methodically pecking food as they progress along a holly twig... Shaking twigs and holly berry bunches reveal a Redwing, previously heard, but unseen.

These are the moments one wants to capture to keep... All my pictures on posts are taken on an ordinary mobile, and through glass so as not to scare birds (or mammals) away. Like many amateurs I take pictures rapidly when something happens, and the subject is small in the picture. (3) Redwing is low in holly tree, right, just above hole in Baggesen’s Gold (Lonicera nitida) on left – useful bird shelter shrub!









 Proper posh camera photos can show the detail... and the behaviour, just as one sees it with binoculars. Here in this sequence, you see the redwing thinking about it, getting into position... aiming... and getting his reward. Photos not taken by me! (Peter uses a Canon ‘bridge’ camera which can zoom right in without one of those very big heavy telephoto lenses).

Pro wildlife photographers are up there on a really high level of expertise - getting amazing wildlife photos by simply sitting, hidden for hours, often in uncomfortable conditions, waiting, with total mastery of their equipment ... for that fabulous breathtaking picture.

To see such photography of our local river life, go to the next NC Event...



NEXT POST WILL BE DURING WEEK OF FEB 23rd, AND THEN

FORTNIGHTLY, NOT WEEKLY.

Photo credits: 1 Chris Wardell; 2, 4-7 Peter Scourse; 3 Nicolette Scourse; Poster – photos Chris Wardell.

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