From the field
April 2011 -
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Chasing small birds around the tree canopy is always a frustrating process. They rarely settle on nice open twigs or branches because the food they seek tends to be in the leaf clusters. As we get further into the growing season its just gets harder and harder as the canopy becomes denser and denser and yet the springtime arrival of some of our most attractive birds has tempted us back to the welsh hills year after year. By setting off at the beginning of may we have always managed to get there before the oak leaves are really open. This year however despite going a week earlier than usual., leaf growth was at least a week further advanced. Unfortunately this meant heavier leaf cover, less light and fewer subjects because the redstarts and wood warblers hadn’t arrived in any numbers as yet
The challenge for me in this environment is to include as much of the habitat as possible while still allowing a clean uncluttered view of the subject. Rather than seeing the bird in a studio-style environment I try to get a feel for the dappled light and the fresh green growth of the ancient oak wood that they inhabit. These two shots were easily the most successful, and I can’t really decide which format I prefer. Both are full frame.
The image below is a fine example of one that just would not quite come off for me. The lovely soft background is a mix of grey scree and dead foliage on the opposite mountainside and the spray of oak leaves sets the scene nicely, but the bird is lost in the clutter. If only it had perched in that space at the top the shot could have been much better.
In the past we have managed to get the birds feeding on mealworms put out in small trays, but that has succeeded mostly due to the good work of Mike Smith who, having already been there for a few days has given them time to find the food. This year he couldn’t make it and today it didn’t work at all, but that is the way it goes.
Having struggled to get close enough to the birds for the shots we wanted we headed back down the hill and decided to get a few shots of a pair of nuthatches that we had noticed earlier preparing a nest hole close to the path. As soon as we set up however, pied flycatchers arrived and came so close that we couldn’t focus on them. By moving back a bit we were able to get some decent images and yet again we proved that no matter how many hours you struggle for, it only takes 1/1000 sec to get the image you want.
I hope that you have found the more detailed explanation of what I was trying to achieve with these images, interesting. If, having read this, you think that I am talking rubbish then at least you have stopped and thought about it long enough to come to that conclusion which is something of a result in my book. If you would like to comment on this article or anything else relating to my website, please feel free to contact me using the adjacent form. Feedback is always greatly appreciated and very helpful when it comes to improving both my site and my photography. Thank you for looking.
5D2, Sigma 500 x 1.4 @ 700mm , iso 1600, f6.3, 1/640
5D2, Sigma 500 x 1.4 @ 700mm , iso 1600, f6.3, 1/800
5D2, Sigma 500 x 1.4 @ 700mm , iso 1600, f6.3, 1/1600
5D2, Sigma 500 x 1.4 @ 700mm , iso 1600, f6.3, 1/1000
5D2, Sigma 500 x 1.4 @ 700mm , iso 1600, f6.3, 1/1000
