Sunday, July 28, 2013

Hanging around


 
Not much luck for me over the last few days of project KFC.  Luck seems a fairly big factor while I'm still learning habits, timings and favourite fishing spots of this local pair.
 
Meanwhile - it's just nice to be wasting some time, out and about enjoying a British summer again.  Just like this Grasshopper, topping up his under-chin tan I guess or just taking a different view of the world.  Bright but muted sunlight providing some very handy lighting - very nice after what seems like an age of frequently noise reducing lots of ISO1600 photos.



Hanging Grasshopper
ISO100, 105mm, f/6.3, 1/320s, -0.6ev

Thursday, July 25, 2013

KFC


Shot of the local Kingfisher flying head-on toward the camera, wings tucked into their high-speed aerodynamic tuck position.  Knowing he was heading back through this choke point made it fairly easy to just focus trap it as it came through.
 
Two stylised Kestrel shots I picked up on the way back to the car with the photogenic old telegraph poles.  Unfortunately the strip of river gets shaded in the last part of the day, so very little chance of photographing a Kingfisher once the shade gets too dark for my 50D at ISO1600.  No spotting of the local Barn Owl during this part of the day yet, but maybe with the rainy weather due it might be more likely.  We will see  ...



Kingfisher in flight
ISO1600, 400mm, f/5.6, 1/800s, -1.3ev, noise reduction, cropped

Twilight Kestrel on old telegraph pole
ISO320, 285mm, f/5.6, 1/500s, +0.3ev, levels, curves

Sunset Kestrel
ISO1000, 400mm, f/5.6, 1/500s, +1.3ev, noise reduction, levels, curves

Notes from the riverbank



Just a quick note to mention that I have just discovered the B&H Youtube channel, which is great and has a lot of really interesting content to watch.  I'm not advertising the store, don't think I've ever ordered from them, but the channel is worth mentioning:

https://www.youtube.com/user/BHPhotoVideoProAudio

Project KFC is going well, some more shots which I will post soon - including some nice Buzzard and Kestrel photos too.  Unfortunately seen a Sparrow Hawk along the river too, which isn't ideal since they predate Kingfishers, so at the very least it will make the little fellows a bit more nervous. 

I did however great very lucky and spotted the resident Otter!!  It swam right below me against the near-side bank of the river, so I couldn't get a shot, but amazing to see one so local.  Only time will tell how lucky I was or whether they are active a lot around that stretch of river.

While I'm rambling, I just wanted to point out that the "Kingfisher calling" shot, wasn't me disturbing the bird - as it might be easy to think, I was quite a way off and he was quite happy to sit on the log and have a wash before he sauntered off.  The last thing I want to be doing while I try and figure out where they're fishing is scare them off.

Starting to get a good idea of which direction they are coming in from and where they like to fish etc.  So hopefully I can start setting up properly and see what I can get.  Worst case I get to chill out sat by a beautiful river for a few hours, so as long as I'm not disturbing the birds, it's all good really... especially if I get to see the Otter again!

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Gone Fishin'


 
Project KFC is well and truly off with a pop this year after being postponed for so long. 
First day at a new stretch of river in search of Kingfishers and not only do I spot at least one pair, plus at least one flying through, I get a half decent shot too. Result!
 
Been an interesting few days on the local wildlife photography front, with sightings of baby Badgers, Barn Owls and now a river full of Kingfishers and reliable reports of Otter sightings too! 
 
See how much time I get to waste over the next few weeks..
 


Kingfisher calling
ISO1600, 400mm, f/5.6, 1/1250s, -0.6ev, noise reduction, crop


ISO1600, 105mm, f/6.3, 1/640s, -1.3ev, noise reduction, crop

Golden Ringed Dragonfly eating a Bee
ISO100, 350mm, f/5.6, 1/500s, -1ev


Sunlit Summer Blackbird
ISO200, 400mm, f/5.6, 1/2000s, -1.3ev, cropped

Saturday, July 06, 2013

Wild and Wonderful

 
Nice weather is currently a double edged event, it enables me to get on with some DIY and landscaping the garden and even when I get a chance to wander out taking photos I have to pay in guilt for the chores that I put aside to indulge in my wasted time.
 
Having said that, I am off to the coast again in a minute, so just a swift post  - again more guilt, since I haven't posted on here in a couple of weeks .. again!?
 
 
 
Cormorant
ISO320, 560mm, f/8, 1/1000s, noise reduction 


Lavender Bee
ISO100, 105mm, f/5, 1/160s

Moorhen Chicks
ISO1600, 400mm, f/5.6, -0.6ev, noise reduction