Wildlife Photography across the Water: One of this years babies

Monday 23 August 2010

One of this years babies

Blackbirds are a very common sight in my garden, and I have watched the wonderful behaviours throughout the winter and early spring with up to 30 in the garden at any one time carrying out their manoeuvres while they feed. When the breeding season arrives, and Blackbirds are among the earliest, they disperse out to their territories.

So peace, at least from the Blackbirds descends into the garden.

We have seen some of a number of clutches of juveniles come in to find some easy food. One pair in particular are very comfortable around us, and were with us all the time we were digging, bringing their young down for a fresh supply of worms. I reckon that we have seen at least three clutches this year and so it was with that in mind that I thought I ought to at least record the events of this family at some point.

It was about the middle of last month, while working outside that I saw one youngster come down on to the bough of the plum tree. I went in and grabbed the 7D, 300f4 and 1.4 converter.

Now one of the benefits of working with juveniles is that they don't know that they need to be scared of us and fly away.

However, I have generally tried to adopt a policy of not being to greedy when I approach a subject. So I get to a point, and take a couple of shots, check the exposure and get another couple if I need to. Then take another couple of paces, gently, and get another couple, mixing around the formats between landscape and portrait mode for a bit of variety.

Then another couple of paces, click, click, and so on. It is surprising how close you can get, even with mature birds.

So this sequence below shows the first shot, then a bit closer in portrait, and then finally, probably too close - maybe American style being large in the frame.

Anyway, this is one of this years babies taken about four weeks ago. All images fullframe and just neutrally converted from the RAW.

Martin

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Bio's

David Courtenay, a self taught wildlife and nature photographer, has been capturing images for over 30 years. He has had a passion for wildlife since early childhood and remembers being glued to the television whenever Survival, Wildlife on One and other natural history documentaries were shown. In the 2006 he swapped his established career for the life of a wildlife photographer, such a move demands a measure of uncompromising passion and commitment.

David has travelled extensively throughout Europe as well as spending more than 7 months in India working with local guides and trackers in search of Bengal Tiger, Asian One horned Rhino and Asian Elephant. He has also photographed Wildlife in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Africa, Canada and America. Working closely with Conservation companies he tries to raise funds to help Wildlife that has been put on the endangered list by poaching and habitation loss

Martin Dyer has had a passion for avian wildlife since childhood, particularly raptors. Photography was also another keen interest and it was with the specific availability and control of the whole process that digital offers that Martin was then able to combine the two in 2003. Based in the UK, Martin is a regular visitor to Scotland, specifically the Isle of Mull to watch the Eagles resident there. Other trips to Europe and around the UK are usually part of Martin’s agenda in a typical year.

However, as a firm believer on making the most of the local patch, Martin has spent a lot of time and hard work creating a wildlife garden which is reaping the rewards with many new species and varieties of wildlife. A keen member of a number of wildlife photographic groups, Martin is keen to expand his portfolio into other areas of wildlife, and has already established a wide portfolio of images of fungi.